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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22411294">Rise Above</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/emchewchew/pseuds/emchewchew'>emchewchew</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - High School, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, F/M, From his dad, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Light Angst, Mayonnaise AU, Rey could totally kick this Ben's butt, bc hes a grumpy teenage boy, ben solo curses a lot, foster kid Rey, like a lot, thespian Ben, this may or may not be based on my ideas of adam driver as a teenager, why is that not a tag already</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 14:15:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>20,897</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22411294</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/emchewchew/pseuds/emchewchew</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben, in protest of the high school's policy on charging for extra condiment packets, breaks into the cafeteria one night to raid their condiment supply only to run into Rey, who's just trying to find a meal because Plutt forgot to stock the fridge again.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey &amp; Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>131</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>296</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Hellman's</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi there! </p><p>This here little fic is for Katy, and it was inspired by that picture of Adam Driver holding a mayonnaise packet in his high school yearbook (and also by his stories about fight club and somehow also a video I saw on twitter of a couple Midwesterners complaining). The picture is in the mood board below if you don't know what I'm talking about, and you should know that this picture was in fact taken because he didn't think students should have to pay for those condiment packets. Right on, young Adam. Right on.</p><p>Please note that Ben does curse frequently in this fic. I'm keeping the rating at T+ because I think that reflects the overall fic best, but if the language is something that may bother you/if you want more info, feel free to ask me for specifics.</p><p>The title is a lyric from "Hold My Girl" by George Ezra.</p><p>The chapter count is tentative, but this should be a shorter fic, and I have most of it written, so updates will be quick-ish. Also, this first chapter is a bit shorter than the others. This work is unbeta-ed, so all mistakes are mine.</p><p>Happy reading!</p><p> </p><p>  </p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>My girl, my girl</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It takes one hot second to turn it around</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“So I says to him, you’ve gotta be fuckin kiddin me, payin extra? For mayonnaise? Fuckin mayonnaise, Mitty? It’s a damn conspiracy. Don’t buy any subs from them anymore, Mit. If I see you eating a sub in here, I’m tellin Ms. Jones you’re the one who stole the fuckin Macbeth sword, I swear to God, we have to protest shit like this. Else they win, the greedy assholes,” Ben spit out.</p><p>He pushes his overgrown locks behind his ears. Fuckin hair. He’s gonna cut it the minute he’s done with his upcoming role. His ears need to <em> breathe </em> , not be hidden away like….like some monstrosities or some shit. Benjamin Chewbacca Organa Solo knows he’s got some oversized features, the least concerning of which are his ears, but no amount of teasing from Armitage Hux can change the fact that his unique physicality has already landed him roles no average looking Tim or Chris could pull off. With his pitch black hair, ivory skin, and oversized ears, Ben stands out, there’s no doubt. <em> Don’t </em> get him wrong- it’s not that he thinks he’s the best looking junior guy at Chandrila High, not at <em> all </em>, but he knows not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Pops taught him that.</p><p>Ben turns back to Mitaka and continues his daily lunch time rant about the wrongdoings of CHS. “Another thing, Mitty. Tell Kay I know it was her that moved those buttons on my Gaston jacket. We have fuckin fittings for a reason, and I know damn well that jacket fit me a week ago. I didn’t get any bigger between then and now. God. The whole fuckin costume design department,” he mumbles, volume dropping as Mitaka chuckles nervously and shoves something in his backpack, “losing their minds cause I ripped a pair of pants… well jokes on those suckers cause now they just have even <em> more </em> work to do and who’s fault is that!” he grumbled, looking out the back windows of the cafeteria as storm clouds rolled in.</p><p>To be honest, Ben knows he screwed up last week. He shouldn’t have gone straight to the baseball field behind the school right after dress rehearsal. He <em> knows </em> that. He just….he’d had an argument with his mom that morning over fuckin piano lessons, and then his dad had texted to let him know it looked like he’d have to head out of town this weekend, and so he probably wasn’t gonna make it to Ben’s show next week and Chewie was up late barking at nothing and Ben’s pretty sure it’s cause the old dog’s losing his hearing and god, why does everything have to be a battle...Ben sighs. </p><p>It doesn’t really matter, he guesses, because either way, he’d made the choice to go let off some steam at Fight Club with the guys. The Knights, they called themselves. It was stupid, he knows, just some lame ass little kid stuff, but it helped him to just...give in to the anger every once in a while. He didn’t have words for it, that feeling. It just bubbled up and needed a way out. It was so real, so visceral to him, it felt almost...alive beneath his skin. Fight Club gave him a place to let it breathe. Unfortunately for both him and Kaydel Ko Connix, president of the Costume Design Club at school, last Tuesday night ended in a….modification to his pants. Sure, sure, they were the ones he was meant to wear for the big “Gaston” number in the Beauty and the Beast musical premiering next week, but he doesn’t <em> usually </em> rip his pants apart at Fight Club, so it hadn’t seemed like a big deal to be wearing them outside of school.</p><p>He...was very wrong. Each member of the costume design team he saw the next afternoon was practically foaming at the mouth whenever they looked his way. He recognizes it’s probably because he had basically just dropped the Gaston pants off Wednesday morning, grass stained and ripped, without so much as a note of explanation, but he deals with enough confrontation at home. He didn’t want to be yelled at even more at school if he could help it. Really, he does feel bad, though, because the team had to work extra shifts to ensure Ben would have functional, hole-less pants when he performed in front of an actual audience in 5 days. An actual audience- minus his pops, that is.</p><p>Oh, his mom had given him the spiel five times over already: dad’s got a lot on his plate, he’s just working to make sure we’re provided for, he knows it’s important to you- well, it all sounded like the same old horse shit that boiled down to excuses to not be around for anything that ever mattered to Ben. A repeat round of excuses had been laid on thick this morning as he got ready for school, and then- <em> and then! </em>- the fuckin mayonnaise packets suddenly cost an extra 50 cents in the cafeteria? Well. That had just been the icing on the shit cake.</p><p>Which leads him here. Sitting with Mitaka, wondering who approved the decision to upcharge for mayo. Ben can’t hold back another groan as he imagines what the school administrators must think of their students if they expect them to take being turned into cash cows lying down. The thing is, if Han Solo had taught him anything, it was how not to be a chump. And Leia Organa- well she’d never sat by and allowed injustice to occur without at least causing a stink about it. At that thought, Ben Solo leans back in his chair. He knows what he has to do.</p><p>“This financial exploitation of high school students cannot continue, Mitty. Somebody ought to send em a fuckin message,” Ben declares. “And I know just how to piss those bastards off.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Kraft Real</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Rey meets a tall idiot in the school cafeteria. At 2 am.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>How bout those SNL sketches, amirite???</p><p>Also, I am SO stoked y'all like mayo warrior Ben! I hope you enjoy my baby girl, Rey, too. </p><p>Happy reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>I've been waiting for you </em>
</p><p>
  <em>To come around and tell me the truth </em>
</p><p>
  <em>'Bout everything that you're going through </em>
</p><p>
  <em>My girl you've got nothing to lose</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The lights in the school parking lot are very little help to Rey Jackson, who’s currently just trying to see the lock and tension wrench in front of her. She’d been lucky last month. There had been a baseball game the night she’d had to come up to school then. Someone had forgotten to turn off the lights in the field, so she had little trouble picking the lock. Of course, she always carries a flashlight with her, but the main problem with using this door to break into the school at night is that it faces a street of beautiful, grand houses- all of which are home to the overly concerned residents of Chandrila’s social elite. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>These people are the ones who started the facebook page “Chandrila Cares” to “bring attention to noteworthy issues in our humble community”. Noteworthy issues apparently meant blasting any poor chap who happened to park over a line in a parking space and complaining about the green bananas in Wal Mart. These are the people, Rey thinks, who probably stand in their front dining rooms with their glassware and their furniture no one actually sits on to peer out their windows, </span>
  <em>
    <span>waiting</span>
  </em>
  <span> for trouble to appear. She’s pretty sure that random, unauthorized flashlight use at CHS in the middle of the night would probably be noticed </span>
  <em>
    <span>somehow</span>
  </em>
  <span>-- and who knows what those people would do. With her luck, they’d probably hire extra night security. Phil, the lone nighttime guard, is usually just asleep in the office at this time of the night, Rey knows, but he does occasionally make loops around the building. Can’t risk having more people to sneak around, Rey thinks, so she deals with the lock in the darkness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fortunately, it turns out she doesn’t need the flashlight after all. The lock makes the tell-tale click, and she’s in. That’s the advantage, after all, of this entrance: the west side gym door is the only door on campus lacking an ID swipe, which means picking the lock and getting in undetected is a cake-walk for someone as experienced- and determined- as Rey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gives the door a little push, careful to avoid the angle at which she knows the door makes a damning creaking noise, and slips in, empty backpack hanging from her shoulder. This isn’t her first, or even second or third, time breaking in at such an hour. Oh no. Rey Jackson knows how to navigate Chandrila High without attracting much attention- day or night. It isn’t that she isn’t a good student (far from it, actually). She just knows the benefits of flying under the radar. The less people pay attention to you, the less they are likely to remember your face when you inevitably come back through the free pizza line at the homecoming dance or stick around for nearly all the club meetings at the school.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I mean, </span>
  <em>
    <span>obviously</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she isn’t interested in Young Republicans Club, but they have Chick-fil-a nuggets and fries- big catering trays full of em- at almost all their meetings. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Chick-fil-a nuggets and waffle fries</span>
  </em>
  <span>, okay? Rey finds ways to slip in and out relatively unnoticed for those nuggets. This skill is actually something she prides herself on, and it comes in handy in particular on nights like tonight when Plutt forgets to go to the grocery store…again. He blames it on the gout, but how he had the time and ability to get himself down to the bar each night and </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> the store for food for his foster kid was beyond Rey’s ability to comprehend. She has long given up trying to rationalize Plutt’s actions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, she finds ways to compensate for her foster father’s carelessness, and one of those ways is taking trips to the school cafeteria at 2 am. She likes this time of night. No one’s out at 2 in the morning on this side of town, and she sometimes likes to just sit in the quiet and imagine all the other thousands or maybe even millions of people out there who are also looking up at the sky at the same time as her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cosmos may be ever changing, but from where Rey stands, they sure seem like the only constant in her life. Sometimes she feels like she’s actually sharing in the experience of gazing at the night sky with all those countless other people and it makes her feel less…not alone, no, just...less like the whole world is out to get her. Maybe it’s stupid, she doesn’t care. She’s been dealt a shitty hand in life, but the stars shine on her head the same way they do everybody else’s, and Rey is grateful to them for that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As she makes her way through Chandrila High’s winding hallways, Rey wonders what she might find tonight. It’s always different. Sometimes these trips earn her frozen hot dogs for days, sometimes they bring her a whole loaf of bread, and rarely, she finds an already open box of those individual chip bags that she can stockpile in her closet for a while. She learned a couple years ago to </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>open a sealed box or container in her late night raids- this only raises questions and draws attention to the deficits in food stock in the cafeteria. If she takes from opened boxes, however, no one seems to really notice. She’s reliant on whatever the lunch ladies decide to do before closing up the kitchen, and they are about as fickle as fate when it comes to their close-up habits.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When she finally arrives in the cafeteria, Rey quickly makes her way to the storage room and fridge to scope out her bounty for the night. As she approaches the storage room door, a loud clap of thunder echoes down the hallway, followed by a loud clunk in the storage room.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“GOD DAMNIT!” someone shouts. Rey’s heart skips a beat. There’s someone in the storage room. Shit. <em>Shit</em>. <em>There's someone in the storage room.</em></span>
</p><p>
  <span>Some shuffling sounds and more clanking come from within the small room, and Rey’s heart pounds in her ears as she leans forward juuust enough to peer in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those fuckin imbeciles, hoarding all this ketchup and mayonnaise and charging unsuspecting students as though their food was even moderately tolerable without it...and what’s this? Catsup? What the </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking hell is catsup</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” the aggravated voice grumbles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s dark in the room as Rey lays eyes on the owner of said voice. The only light comes from the stranger’s flashlight, so the details are hard to make out, but she gets the gist. Oh, does she. Standing in the corner, next to several recently opened boxes of what appears to be condiments is a boy. Wait, no. A man? Rey isn’t sure. He’s definitely tall, whoever he is. Also broad. Really broad. Rey gulps.</span>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“The fuckin nerve, the </span>
  <em>
    <span>balls</span>
  </em>
  <span>, man. Deadass stockpilin mayonnaise that’s gonna rot before they can even sell it all. Makes me SICK,” he- for it had to be a he with such a deep, resonating voice- declares.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His back is turned towards her, but with the way his black sweater stretches across his shoulders, Rey’s sure this has to be a either a grown adult man or a *really* well developed senior.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no way this all fits in this fuckin Aldi’s bag. Fuck,” the man continues complaining. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aldi’s…bag? What’s this guy doing here, Rey wonders. Why’s he working with just a flashlight instead of flicking on the lights? How’d he get so big? Rey is so caught up in her questions, she barely notices the man reaching for another box to open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Somehow, self preservation instincts kicked in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oi!! What are you doing??” Rey takes a few steps inside the room. “If you open any more boxes, someone’s gonna wonder what the hell happened in here!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As she stomps her way to the corner Broad Stranger stands in, it quickly dawns on her that perhaps her instincts were wrong and this is in fact not another scavenger, but maybe someone who is supposed to be here.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shouldn’t have worried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tall man </span>
  <em>
    <span>shrieks</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“WHAT THE FUCKING HELL,” he shouts, whipping around and knocking over a couple boxes of condiments in the process. “YA CANT JUST CREEP UP ON A GUY LIKE THAT DUDE, SOME PEOPLE’VE GOT HEART PALPITATIONS AND THAT SHIT DOESN’T HELP,” he yells, overenunciating the words. Rey purses her lips and holds back a giggle. This guy is definitely not supposed to be here and probably just a student. He’s also maybe sort of...cute. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right about the time she makes this realization, Scaredy Cat seems to actually recognize he's talking to another person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit. Wait. Who </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> you?” he asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think the most important question here is what the hell you’re planning to do with all those ketchup packets you have in that bag? And...were you talking to <em>yourself?</em>” Rey hedges. The Aldi bag he dropped is about ⅓ full of ketchup, and she cannot for the life of her figure out why any person would need that much ketchup.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guy just stares at her like he isn’t sure she’s real. He squints.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s none of your damn business, sweetheart. I’m here on matters of upmost importance,” he says haughtily. This guy definitely lives in the neighborhood across the street, Rey thinks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Utmost,” she can’t help but correct.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, exactly. It’s of the uptmost importance to...uh...to Principal Holdo that these um condoms- CONDIMENTS, i mean condiments - are um delivered to...to the concession stand in the stadium,” he manages to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey has dealt with plenty of weasley teenage boys before, but while she recognizes the lie, this guy doesn’t give her the creeps. Her bullshit meter is extremely accurate, but even if it wasn’t, this guy’s obviously not on some mission for Holdo at 2 am. She’s not sure what he’s actually doing, but she suddenly realizes it doesn’t really matter. She needs dinner and then she needs to get home to get </span>
  <em>
    <span>some</span>
  </em>
  <span> sleep before school tomorrow. This little detour has already cost her enough time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oookay, bud. Well, if you’re on such an important mission from Principal Holdo, then you probably know why I’m here,” she says and waits to see what he comes up with in response to that. She watches him carefully as he nods and runs his hands through all that black hair. God, is this loud giant...hot? She’s starting to accept it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh right, right, yeah of course. Course, I know. I know what you’re doing here. You’re here...because of something. Which I know,” he says. Rey just raises an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re um here...for the uh....recycling.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For the recycling.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Did he just puff out his chest? “She did warn me you’d be here, now that I think about it. Yeah, yeah. Cute little thing, she said. Nice. Big buns.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Big buns? </span>
  </em>
  <span>That’s not something you should fucking be looking--” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“BUNS IN YOUR HAIR. BUNS IN YOUR HA--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey’s done. She walks right up to this guy. Pokes him square in his big chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“LISTEN, YOU BIG DUMMY. I,” she points at herself, “know what I’m doing here. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You </span>
  </em>
  <span>clearly don’t. Now, I’m not about to risk getting caught in here because some idiot opens all the storage boxes and shouts about my buns, hair or otherwise! You,” she goes back to poking him in the chest, “are going to tell me who you are and what you’re doing here and then I am going to get what I came for. After that, we’ll never speak again. Ya got it, dude?” Rey takes a deep breath and steps back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The guy just stares. Blinks a couple times. Rey is just about ready to shove all six-foot, four-inches of him aside and go about her business. She did not sign up to deal with a speechless boy tonight, and she is hungry, damnit. She’s just about to tell him so when he takes a deep breath and speaks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My name’s Ben. I came in here because--” Ben is cut off by the sound of a door shutting in the cafeteria. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey and Ben lock eyes. Ben looks a little like he might cry. Rey puts a finger up to her pursed lips, shushing him. She gestures for him to bend down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She steps up on her tip-toes and whispers in his ear, “I know a place we can hide.” Then she turns and walks out the door. Ben follows after her like his life depends on it. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you thank you for reading!! Your comments are quickly becoming my favorite thing, so I'd love to hear your thoughts if you're so inclined.</p><p>The lyrics at the beginning are from "Hold My Girl" by George Ezra.</p><p>Come say hey on <a href="https://twitter.com/benchewchewsolo">twitter</a> if you'd like :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Sir Kensington's Classic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>In which our precious idiots find themselves stuck in an odd spot.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm here with buckets and buckets of thank yous for everyone who has left kudos and comments or shown love on twitter. Y'all are awesome, and I hope you enjoy our ridiculous babies in this chapter, too.</p><p>Happy reading :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>I've been dreaming 'bout us</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Working hard and saving it up</em>
</p><p>
  <em>We'll go and see the man on the moon</em>
</p><p>
  <em>My girl we've got nothing to lose</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Rey isn’t positive, but she’s pretty sure that the door someone just closed in the cafeteria is the one over by the bathrooms, which, if she’s right, means she and Ben have approximately 25 seconds to hide before whoever it is- probably just Phil, the security guard- can make their way into the kitchen. She knows of only one place in here that Phil doesn’t think to check on his security sweep, and she just hopes Ben doesn’t protest. Or that he at least protests silently and follows her lead anyway. An <em> obedient </em>, giant, hot idiot, that’s what she needs right now.</p><p>For his part, Ben is still a little shaken by the petite brunette stealthily creeping in front of him. Now that his initial shock has passed and he’s taken a moment to assess the situation, he’s got some questions of his own for this chick. Like, for instance, why the hell is <em> she </em> in the cafeteria at such a wack time? Is she wearing perfume or does her hair just naturally smell like strawberries? How’d she even get into the building? Leia is a <em> huge </em> supporter of the PTA at CHS and is always involved in some scheme or another to make money for various programs and shit blah blah blah, so someone at some point had given her an ID card. Ben had been able to swipe it and the Aldi’s bag from his mom’s office. He wonders who’s ID <em> she </em> snatched to get in. </p><p>He also suddenly realizes he doesn’t know her name. Yet. He definitely doesn’t think he’s seen her before. She’s got long, tan legs he’d probably remember. He’s grateful for whatever schmuck invented Nike shorts. God’s gift, he swears. She’s also got that soft-looking, strawberry-smelling hair done up in those buns...fucking buns. He cringes remembering how fucking stupid he’d been. He just...she… I mean, she’d just suddenly been there in the storage room, looking like everything he never knew he wanted and yelling at him.</p><p>He smiles softly, remembering. While she’d been yelling, he thinks he’d noticed some freckles running across her cheeks and shoulders, too. It was pretty dark, but the freckles had stood out against the yellow tank top she’s wearing, which like…god, the freckles are smokin hot. Plus, she’s got that cute little way of talking...shit, does she have a boyfriend?? Oh god, Ben hopes she doesn’t have a boyf-</p><p>“Oi!” Rey hisses quietly. Which is fair because Ben just totally clipped her heel with his stupid, massive clown feet. Thankfully, he pulled back in time that he didn’t totally run into her or she’d have fallen flat. He’d been too caught up thinking about her freckles to realize where they were headed, but now that he looks up at the girl’s scowling face and the door they stand in front of, he is suddenly more than aware of what she’d been planning.</p><p>“Oh ho ho no. No. No way, sunshine. I’m not steppin foot in no fuckin freezer,” Ben whispers. </p><p>Rey struggles a little bit as she pulls the door open. She just looks up at him with raised brows and tilts her head slightly towards the freezer. </p><p>Ben’s just about to ask if she <em> wants </em> to be murdered because only murderers and murderees spend time in industrial walk in freezers, when they hear someone whistling just outside the door leading to the back part of the kitchen they’re currently in. Ben quickly steps inside the freezing room, followed by the girl, who closes the door behind them, shutting them in with a soft <em> whoosh </em>. Ben sighs. The things he does for pretty girls and mistreated high schoolers who deserve free mayonnaise. </p><p>There are tiny lights lining the walls along the floor of the freezer, so there is just barely enough light to make Ben’s face visible to Rey, who quickly realizes how foolish her idea had been when she hears a laugh just outside the freezer room. </p><p>“Oh these silly little dogs,” Phil chuckles. “Oh oh look at em, HA! They’re painting a picture. Who would’ve thought? Dogs painting! That is neat. Just so neat,” the security guard says to himself. Rey hears the sliding of a metal chair and a tinny pop song increasing in volume. Phil laughs. His voice and the music do not get any quieter, and Rey slowly looks back to Ben, who is also realizing their predicament. So long as Phil sits outside watching who knows what on his phone, they’re stuck. </p><p>The two stare at each other in silence for about 7 seconds before Ben bends towards Rey and whispers, “Sooo, what’s your name?”</p><p>She pulls back and looks at him with her brows furrowed and lips pressed into a thin line. She shakes her head hard a couple times as if to say “not now you ding dong”.</p><p>Ben doesn’t catch that part.</p><p>“Is it Laura?” he whispers, then he looks away from her baffled face. “No, no I don’t think you’re a Laura. Maybe something monosyllabic,” he says, pursing his lips as he tries to hold back a smirk after using that word properly. Chicks dig smart dudes. </p><p>“I think your name is Sam. Or maybe you have a nickname like Brit,” Ben adds before his eyes go wide and he has to hold back a snort because he realizes the pun he unintentionally made. He covers his mouth with his hand, holding in laughter as Rey’s face grows more and more irate. Phil must have selected another video because he can hear dogs barking along to rock songs now.</p><p>Rey crosses her arms and turns around, facing the freezer wall. She cannot <em> believe </em> she is stuck with this guy in this freezer right now. She is definitely going to fall asleep in calc tomorrow. She just hopes she’s able to get something to eat before then. She also desperately hopes she doesn’t freeze to death in this awful, awful room. What was she thinking, hiding in a freezer? She shivers and wraps her arms tighter around herself.</p><p>Ben is still trying to think of something else either punny or clever to say when he notices her shivering. Shit. He’s got on jeans, a t-shirt, and a sweater. This poor girl is only wearing athletic shorts and a tank top. He should’ve thought about it sooner. They can’t stay in here much longer or she’s gonna get sick, and Ben’s own stomach lurches at the thought of any harm coming to her. </p><p>Rey hears some shuffling sounds behind her and is vaguely aware of the fact that Ben hasn’t said anything for about a minute, so she decides to turn around and grace him with another withering look when she realizes what she was hearing. </p><p>Ben stands there, and though his body’s shrouded in shadows, she can see a small smile on his face. It suits him, she thinks. Smiling. He holds out his black sweater to her. He’s wearing a Blink-182 t-shirt, so she doesn’t feel too bad about taking the sweater from him. She reaches out to grab the sweater, and his smile grows bigger. She sets her backpack down so she can pull the sweater on. </p><p>God. This sweater smells...heavenly. Most teenage boys she knows smell pretty awful, even if they use some kind of body spray. Axe mixed with body odor is sometimes worse than straight body odor. Ugh. She is beyond grateful that Ben’s sweater doesn’t smell like any of that. It’s almost sandalwood-y, but she thinks there’s a trace of peppermint in there that she can’t make sense of. She doesn’t really care where it’s from, she just likes it, but it does make her wonder if her assumptions from earlier are correct.</p><p>“So Ben,” she whispers slowly. His eyes light up. He leans forward ever so slightly and sticks his hands in the pockets of his jeans. She clears her throat and checks to make sure she still hears Phil’s dog videos before she continues. “Are you a student here?” she asks.</p><p>Ben smiles again. Devastating, she thinks. </p><p>“Ah, sweetheart, I think if you want an answer to that, you’ve gotta answer my question, first,” he says cheekily.</p><p>“Which question?” Rey asks. Fuck, Ben thinks. Her nose scrunches up so sweetly when she’s confused. It’s sort of like the way her nose scrunches when she’s angry at him, but confusion is different and it’s so, so sweet.</p><p>“What’s your name?” Ben reminds her.</p><p>Rey hesitates. The thing is, there’s another reason she likes so much to fly under the radar (apart from free nuggets from Chick-fil-a, that is). It’s her most important reason, in fact. The truth is, flying under the radar means no one really remembers you and, well, if no one remembers who you are, then there’s no one to pity you. Rey hates being pitied, but something about Ben just feels...well it feels like maybe he wouldn’t pity her. He’s obviously got his own shit going on, sneaking around the school in the early hours of the morning. She takes a deep breath.</p><p>“Rey. My name’s Rey,” she tells him.</p><p>“Ben,” he says, sticking out his hand for her to shake. She takes it and laughs quietly.</p><p>“You told me that,” she reminds him.</p><p>He shrugs a shoulder. “I know, but I just wanted to make sure you didn’t forget,” he says.</p><p>Rey can feel her cheeks blush. “So do you go here?” she asks him.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m a junior.”</p><p>“Same,” she says. </p><p>“No way!” Ben says, a little too loudly. Rey shushes him and they both freeze as they strain to listen for Phil. They hear a low chuckle. Still safe, but the cold is starting to get to the both of them. Rey says a silent prayer that Phil’s phone will die soon.</p><p>“Yes way. It’s a big school, Ben. It’s easy to not know everyone,” she says.</p><p>“Well yeah, sure, I guess,” Ben concedes. “But what were you doing here anyway? And how’d you get in?”</p><p>Rey decides to take the leap. Kind of. “Oh...I um...I was looking for some snacks. The school tends to have way too much, so I just uh take some off their hands every once in a while,” she says. It’s <em> a </em> truth, even if it’s not the <em> whole </em> truth. </p><p>Ben’s jaw drops. Is this girl...fighting the cruel, greedy establishment at Chandrila High School, too? She just so casually described stealing from the man, and he is left <em> reeling. </em> He’s never believed in soul-mates before, but this girl might just be his other half. Maybe he’s getting ahead of himself, but this is just way too rad. He hates most people, but he hasn’t hated Rey for even a second, yet. Maybe the half second when she made his heart stop after scaring the living daylights out of him and also when she forced him into this freezer, he admits, but it’s all been wonderful besides that.</p><p>“Rey, that is <em> sick </em> ,” Ben says excitedly. “I was here to raid their stash of condiments. They’ve got <em> way </em> too much of those, too. Can you believe they started charging students for mayonnaise packets?? These greedy assholes know we’re stressed out with all the homework they lay on us, so how do they expect us to also hold jobs on top of that? What do they think I’m gonna do? Ask my parents who are always off at some meeting or luncheon for change for my mayonnaise? Ha. Right. It’s a goddamn conspiracy, I’m telling you!”</p><p>Rey isn’t exactly sure what he’s trying to say. He broke in here to…steal ketchup? The school wants more money? She thinks he might be right, but he also might be a little loony. Either way, at least he’s...passionate about it. She can’t help it, she giggles a little bit. This guy is something else. </p><p>“But wait,” he whispers, crouching down so he’s closer to her eye level. “You never said how you got in here. I used my mom’s ID. She’s like some hot shot around here cause she throws money everywhere, god, its like <em> all </em> these people care about. They basically just hand over the keys to anyone who’s willing to pay for fancier pencil sharpeners or new paint in the teacher’s parking lot,” he rambles on. </p><p>She speaks up before he launches into another conspiracy theory. “I um came in the west gym door. It doesn’t have an ID swipe, so I just picked the lock.”</p><p>Ben’s eyes widen just a little bit. </p><p>She...she can pick locks? </p><p>Shit. She’s a dream.</p><p>Just as he’s trying to come up with a way to ask her if he can help her put a dent in the school’s supply of snacks, they hear the dragging of the chair again. They both go silent and lean closer to the door to listen. They hear some more shuffling, then a heavy sigh and the music cuts off. They hear footsteps approaching the freezer, and they both hold their breath. The footsteps pass right by the freezer and fade away into the distance. </p><p>Rey sighs and throws her head back in relief. Ben waits a few more seconds, then he pushes on the door gently to peer out. The coast seems clear enough, so he steps out and Rey follows. </p><p>“Brrrrrrrrrr,” Ben shivers, wiggling his arms out to the side to get the blood flowing again. He looks over at Rey, who is still shivering and attempting to pull his sweater off.</p><p>“Na ah, sunshine. You keep that on till you feel warm again. You saved my stupid ass back there, the least I can do is make sure you’re warm enough to steal snacks,” he says with a grin. </p><p>Rey smiles at him, and his cold wretched heart squeezes in his chest.</p><p>“C’mon angel. We’ve got some damage to do the administration, huh?” he asks her and holds out his hand. </p><p>Rey blushes- again- at the nickname and looks at Ben’s hand for just a second. What the hell, she thinks. It isn’t every day she meets understanding, gentle, and tall boys who loan her their sweaters and help her steal dinner.</p><p>She takes his hand and they head off to the storage room to fill their respective bags. The near run-in with Phil sobered them both up, so they work quickly and quietly. Rey suggests that they break down the boxes Ben opened and emptied into his Aldi’s bag; that way, they can get rid of the boxes off campus and it won’t be as immediately noticeable that three whole boxes of condiments are missing.</p><p>She’s impressed because he did manage to take all the stored catsup and mayonnaise, and he says he’ll come back for the rest another night. For her part, Rey finds a loaf of bread sitting on a shelf, as well as some peanut butter. The peanut butter is a happy surprise because it’s not normally out of the boxes it comes in, and she’s been running low on her own stash. She also manages to find an opened box of individual Cheetos bags, so she grabs those, too. </p><p>After they’ve each filled their bags to their hearts’ content, Rey rearranges the boxes in the storage room to be less conspicuous and Ben picks up the boxes they broke down to carry back to his house to throw away there. They agree to both leave the same door to reduce the risk of getting caught. After they make their way to the west gym door and open it, Rey pauses. It’s raining pretty hard outside. Shit. She’s gotta walk home in this, and she really doesn’t want to. That’s her life though, isn’t it? Doing things she has to but doesn’t want to. Including saying goodbye to Ben.</p><p>“Thanks. For your help,” she says to Ben, who is looking at his watch. It’s a little after 3 a.m.</p><p>“Oh no problem. No problem at all. The more the merrier, right?” he laughs nervously. He doesn’t want to say goodbye, either. “Serves them right, those bastards,” he chuckles. </p><p>“Well, I...I guess I’ll see you. Later. Maybe,” Rey manages to say. Spray from the rain is sort of splashing on her face as she holds the door open and turns to look at Ben. </p><p>“Yeah, later, I guess,” Ben says slowly. He looks out at the rain. At least he only lives across the street. It’ll just have to be a quick run, boxes, Aldi’s bag, and all.</p><p>Rey swallows. “Bye, then, Ben,” Rey says and then bolts out into the rain.</p><p>Ben is stuck for a moment. He didn’t think she was just gonna run off like that! Shit!</p><p>“Rey!” he calls as he runs out after her.</p><p>She keeps walking but turns. “What? Did I forget something?” she asks.</p><p>“Did you-? What? No! Where are you going?” he yells, jogging over to her.</p><p>“Ben, I’m going home, we talked about this,” she sputters through the rain. “What are you doing?! We can’t get caught now and its raining fucking cats and dogs!”</p><p>“Where’s your car?” Ben asks, suddenly wondering why she’s headed for the main road that runs in front of the school.</p><p>“What??” Rey yells, exasperated, still walking towards home. Which is at least a thirty minute walk in this rain. Good thing her backpack is waterproof. Lightning lights up the sky. </p><p>“I said--. Damnit, Rey. How are you getting home?” he asks, a horrible thought dawning on him.</p><p>“I’m...I’m just going home, Ben. You should go home, too. It’s raining!”</p><p>“I know that, Rey, <em> obviously </em> , but shit, I can’t let you walk home, wherever that is! That’s what you’re doing isn’t it? Walking home in this fucking <em> thunder storm </em>?” he yells. </p><p>“What else am I supposed to do?!” Rey yells back. She was disappointed enough having to say goodbye to the first person who made her feel seen in ages and now she’s getting even more soaked because he won’t let her just...leave. She needs to get back to stash her haul and be in bed so she’ll be rested for school tomorrow. Thunder rumbles overhead.</p><p>“Come with me.”</p><p>“What??” Rey thinks she must have misheard him. The rain is really coming down.</p><p>“I said, come with me. I live just over there,” he points at one of the horribly beautiful houses with its wrap around porch and balconies and a manicured lawn. “You’ll get sick if you try to go much further in this storm. Just come with me for a bit, till the storm lessens up. Then you can leave. It’s right there, Rey, please,” he pleads, holding out his hand.</p><p>Rey stops walking. She looks up at the sky as it unleashes some of its worst on the ground below. There’s no way she’s going to make it home without getting sick, he’s right. She can’t miss school or work for Unkar, either. She heaves a heavy sigh then looks back at Ben, standing there, so patient in the downpour.</p><p>“Ben.”</p><p>“Yes, Rey, yes? What do you need?” he asks.</p><p>“It’s just that house right down the street there?” she clarifies one last time.</p><p>“Yes, sweetheart. Just a quick jog and then we’ll get out of this fucking rain,” he reminds her.</p><p>She nods. “Alright,” she says. She takes his hand and they run.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*friendly reminder this is rated T and will stay that way eeee*</p><p>If you liked it, I would love to hear it!! Comments are the best treats nom nom </p><p>Thank you for reading &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Kewpie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>They go to Ben's house, someone gets a booboo, everyone drinks hot chocolate, souls are bared, and a surprise guest makes an appearance.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi again wonderful readers! This chapter is a little bit of a monster clocking in at over 6,000 words, but I couldn’t bring myself to cut it. Hopefully, that’s okay and I hope you enjoy it! There’s fluff. So. Much. Fluff. Also a tiny bit of angst, but this is a fluffy story at its heart. Don’t worry. </p><p>NOTE: there are a couple TW for this chapter in the end notes. They’re in regard to Plutt and a scene with a bit of stage fright, so if you want to give the warning a look before reading, just use the link below. Nothing is described in detail or particularly heavy in my humble opinion, but I’d rather be clear now.</p><p>Happy reading!!</p><p> </p><p>  </p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Crowded town or silent bed </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Pick a place to rest your head </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Give me a minute to hold my girl </em>
</p><p> </p><p>In the fourth grade, Benjamin Organa Solo performed on stage for the very first time. He played Santa Claus’ right hand elf, Bernard. It was a surprise to him and everyone in the fourth grade at the time that he was cast in this role given that he towered over all the other fourth graders, even then. He later heard the drama teacher, Mrs. Weston, tell the vice-principal she gave him the role of head elf in part because of “those ears”. Y i k e s.</p><p>To be fair, they <em> were </em> particularly noticeable at the time due to his shaved head. He’d gotten lice on the trip he took with Mitaka and his family to a cabin in some state park over Thanksgiving break that year. Han and Leia had both been out of town for their respective careers, and rather than asking Uncle Luke to host Ben for the week, they sent him off with Mitty’s family. Ben hadn’t minded too much until Mitty’s mom had declared there would be no pie because their family didn’t “believe” in pies. What kind of fucking imbecile thinks pies are something to <em> believe </em> in, anyway? Whether you like it or not, apple pie exists, Tricia. Ben knows. It’s his favorite. That Thanksgiving had been all downhill from there, culminating in the previously mentioned case of lice. Leia parted his hair one time after he got back and knew. Shaved off all his hair right then. Ben cried.</p><p>Turned out to be a total fuckin blessing, he likes to think, because that shaved head gave him the chance to stand on a stage for that first exhilarating time. There’s <em>nothing</em> like that feeling of slipping into the shoes of another person, telling a story with his whole self in front of all sorts of people. He doesn’t get too nervous any more; in fact, he barely feels like he’s gonna piss his pants right before going onstage these days. That...wasn’t the case the first time. </p><p>He’d been sitting still back stage while Mrs. Weston attached the pointy tips to the ends of his ears, the finishing touch to his costume, 20 minutes before showtime. </p><p>“You excited, Benjamin? We’ve got quite the crowd out there, tonight,” she’d said to him.</p><p>“Yeah, of course,” he’d replied. Mrs. Weston had smiled and left him then to help another kid. </p><p>Ben remembers taking a moment to more thoroughly think about her question. Was he? Excited? He….thought so. He knew all his lines. He also knew all his marks and he’d practiced his facial expressions in front of the mirror for hours and hours. </p><p>Still...</p><p>In that moment, it’d hit him that it wasn’t just his mom and dad and Uncles Luke and Lando and Aunt Maz that had come. Mitty and his family were out there. The ladies Mom knew from PTA had all come. Even some of the neighborhood kids and their parents had shown after he’d gone door to door to sell tickets. All those people were there to support him…to see him perform. Waiting…waiting for him to make a mistake. Which he was definitely going to make, no question. And the things that could go wrong! Oh god. What if the lights were too bright? What if he tripped on the slippers he had to wear in Act 2? What if David who played Santa Claus forgot a line and he was left high and dry in front of all those people? David definitely had the capacity to make him look like an amateur, 10 year old Ben had thought anxiously. </p><p>Suddenly, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. His skin felt like it was crawling all over. He stood up from his chair only to feel like he had to burp a little bit...only the burp wasn’t a burp. Ben had vomited all over himself right there, 15 minutes before showtime. Mrs. Weston’s husband had been backstage helping out. He’d recognized the stage fright written all over Ben’s face right before and was already moving to grab a change of clothes and towels by the time Ben realized what had happened. </p><p>After he’d changed, he’d felt miraculously freer. Lighter. Mr. Weston had encouraged him to not think about the audience this time around and given Ben a few breathing exercises to do. The moment he’d stepped onstage, all those feelings holding him back vanished as he shrugged on the role he was given. Everything since then felt like a piece of cake in comparison. </p><p>Well. Till now, that is. That awful feeling of jumping nerves, rolling stomach, and foreboding doom from his first performance was <em> nothing </em> in comparison to what Ben feels as he leads Rey through the back door of his house only to stop dead as remembers how <em> chalk full </em> of baby pictures this part of the house is. </p><p>Rey stops just behind him. “Uhhh, is everything okay, Ben?” she whispers gently, confused as to why he’d paused. He’d held her hand the whole run back to his house and promised he’d make her a hot chocolate once they got inside. They are in a dimly lit hallway, and she can’t for the life of her think of a reason to stop here.</p><p>“Oh uh uh yeah. Yeah, definitely. Totally fine,” Ben mumbles as he turns around to face her. He’s not worried about being quiet. His dad is out of town, and his mom is a heavy sleeper. Besides, her room is upstairs in a totally different wing of the house. </p><p>Rey raises her eyebrows. “Ooookay…” she says, waiting for an explanation or direction of some kind.</p><p>“Yep,” Ben replies, apparently forgetting what they were talking about. He places his hands on his hips and presses his lips into a thin line. Oh god, Rey thinks. He really does just take up the whole hallway doesn’t he. She wonders if he plays any sports...he sure has broad shoulders. And thick arms. They must be good for...stuff. Like...lifting things. He’s probably good at one of the...the...ball sports. Or. Something.</p><p>“Yeah,” Rey says, also forgetting she had asked a question as she continues tracing the outline of his shoulders with her eyes.</p><p>“Mmmm,” Ben sighs, totally distracted by the sight of...well the sight of <em> Rey </em> . Most of her hair is flattened against her head after the run in the rain, but there are a few tendrils that defiantly curl around her face. There’s a slight <em> drip, drip </em> as the rainwater falls from both their clothes. The light from the back porch light shines through the small windows on the door they’d just come in and casts a slight glow around Rey. Rey. Who is just standing there with her backpack in his hallway. In his house. <em> Shit. </em> She’s here. In his <em> house.  </em></p><p>Fucking of course! That’s why he’d stopped walking. Rey is in his house and he has to get her to the kitchen, preferably without drawing attention to the pictures of himself hanging all. over. the. damn. walls. This is a dream that could easily turn into a nightmare if Rey happens to see any of the more embarrassing pictures Mom fucking <em> insists </em> on keeping up. There’s that one, he suddenly remembers, from when he was just two and running around the house totally naked except for the foam Hulk hands Uncle Chewie had given him for Christmas. Oh god. Oh shit. Oh holy fucking shit Rey <em> cannot </em>see these pictures. </p><p>Rey apparently snaps out of whatever teenage hormone-induced trance the two of them were just in. “Um...do you have a change of clothes I could borrow for a bit, maybe? I’m pretty c-c-cold,” she tells him.</p><p>Oh god, well that’s just fucking great, Ben, he thinks. He got distracted by her hair and the fucking baby pictures and his girl is literally shivering right in front of him. Shit. Wait. <em> Fuck </em> . Okay. Maybe he’s getting ahead of himself, she’s not <em> his </em>girl. </p><p>Yet. </p><p>“Oh my god, Rey, yes, yeah, sure. Follow me,” he says, taking a deep breath and praying they can just hurry through this damn hallway quickly enough that she doesn’t see any of the pictures that would mean his assured death. </p><p>Rey is thankfully intent on following closely behind him and doesn’t seem to pay much attention to the pictures or laundry room they pass. When they get to the kitchen, Ben continues around the island to the opposite corner, where there’s a set of stairs that lead upstairs to his room. He doesn’t hear her following him any more, so he pauses to look back at her. She is stopped next to the island and she’s turning slowly, eyes wide. </p><p>“You comin, sweetheart?” he asks tentatively. He’s not sure what’s going on.</p><p>Rey looks back at him. “I’ve never seen...such a big kitchen. I mean...wow. Is this...real granite?” she asks as she taps her knuckles against the top of the island. “And you have <em> three </em> ovens?? Why would you need three ovens? I…” she trails off. </p><p>Ben looks around the room, trying to take in the room from Rey’s perspective. He’s always lived here, so he’s used to the multiple ovens, double wide island, and walk in fridge. Seems pretty normal to him. </p><p>“Um...yeah, it’s granite, I think. Maybe. I don’t really fucking know, to be honest. We can come back down once we’ve got you in some warm clothes. I still owe you that hot chocolate,” he reminds her.</p><p>She doesn’t appear to really have heard him, gaze still flitting from one corner of the kitchen to the next.</p><p>“Ben.”</p><p>“Yeah? I mean..yes?”</p><p>“I think...your kitchen is bigger than my apartment.”</p><p>Ben’s jaw drops. </p><p>Bigger than…? Surely she just means…</p><p>“Yeah I mean it’s about the size of my room too,” he starts to say, but she interrupts.</p><p>“No, Ben. I mean bigger than the <em> whole </em> two bedroom apartment I live in.” </p><p>He stares.</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>Rey stares back. </p><p>Then, she laughs.</p><p>Ben isn’t sure what they’re laughing at, but god, he fucking loves hearing her laugh. Something in his chest feels looser when she’s laughing with him. Hell, she could be laughing <em> at </em> him and he’d still probably feel like he’s flying.</p><p>“Sorry,” Rey starts to apologize. “I always walk by these houses, ya know, on my way to school, and I just...never realized what they’d be like inside…” she trails off. “Nevermind me, we can totally keep going. I’m sure you’re cold, too.”</p><p>“Oh. Yeah. Okay...uh...this way I guess,” Ben feels a little confused, but he isn’t gonna push her when she clearly meant to change the subject.</p><p>They head up the stairs, and Ben flips on the lights for the game room the stairs open up into. He hears Rey gasp, but when he turns to check on her, she’s just looking at him expectantly. He smiles softly and continues around the corner to his room. </p><p>“Oh my god,” Rey practically squeals as he flicks on the lights. </p><p>“What?” he asks, quickly heading to his dresser, throwing down his Aldi's bag and pulling out some t-shirts and sweatpants to offer Rey.</p><p>“You, Ben, are a huge fucking nerd,” she says excitedly. Ben goes stock still. <em> Shit shit shit shit shit. </em>He’s never brought a girl up to his room before. Hell, he hasn’t even really kissed a girl. Unless you count the few times he’s shared a stage kiss with someone. </p><p>Which he doesn’t. </p><p>The point is he’s never had to fucking think about how the various geeky shit sitting on his dressers and bookshelf might look to a <em> girl </em>. The posters are fine, they’re all cool films he loves or quotes from directors he dreams of working with one day. Makes him seem artsy and like maybe mysterious. Probably.</p><p>On the other hand, the numerous Funko Pops, model lightsabers, life-sized wands, and sonic screwdrivers, amongst other things, are a dead give away that Ben Organa Solo is not <em> cool </em> by many people’s standards <em> . </em> He’s not like the guys on the football team or the ones in student council. He normally couldn’t care less what those people think of him, anyway, but he is just now struck with the question of whether or not Rey would prefer that type of guy over one who’s seen every Clone Wars episode at least three times. God. Any progress he’s made is probably shot now. She knows the truth. There’s no going back.</p><p>She breaks through his absolute freak out with another miraculous laugh. “Ben, I <em> love </em> this shit. Don’t look so much like I just charged you extra for a mayonnaise packet,” she says cheekily. Ben feels like he’s on a roller coaster. </p><p>She’s laughing again. </p><p>That flying feeling? It’s fucking back, baby.</p><p>“Oh do you, sweetheart? Well, what would you say if I told you I have a poster signed by the tenth doctor himself, hmmm?”</p><p>Rey throws her backpack down and runs over to him, grinning from ear to ear. “Don’t play with me, Ben. Where is it? Or are you just full of shit?” she asks, cocking her hip and giving him a stern look that makes her nose scrunch up again in that way that makes Ben’s heart beat faster.</p><p>He holds up his hands in self defense. </p><p>“Okay, okay. I swear I’m not shitting you. I have it, but it’s in the media room, so I’ve gotta go grab it real quick. I’d take ya with me, but you’re gonna catch a cold if you don’t change into some dry clothes,” he gestures to the shirts and sweats he’s laid on his bed. “I’m gonna head over there real quick to grab your precious <em> proof </em>, but you should change while I’m gone. You’ll have time, don’t worry. It’s on the other side of the house. I’ll be back soon, angel,” he says as he heads out the door.</p><p>Rey is left blushing at that damn nickname. She hadn’t really given herself time to analyze it earlier, but as she changes into the dry, warm clothes Ben’s laid out, she takes a second to think about how Ben sure seems to like calling her sweet little names. Rey isn’t stupid. She knows boys can say all the right things and not care one lick about you when it comes down to it, but she just...doesn’t think that’s the case with Ben. She’s never been in a relationship, but she does know what it’s like to be let down by people you care about, which is why her willingness to trust him is a little baffling to her. </p><p>She sits down on the bed, rolling up the pant legs that are much too long for her and considers all that’s happened since she met Ben. He’s been surprisingly helpful and he’s made her laugh over and over again. He has provided for her multiple times now and made sure she was comfortable, even before he thought about himself, which now that she thinks about it makes her a little worried he’s still running around in his wet clothes. </p><p>God. She hopes he doesn’t think she’s a burden. She’s basically latched herself onto him and is leeching all his kindness and generosity. He’s probably gonna realize soon. Shit. She hangs her clothes up on his door and hopes they’ll dry soon so she doesn’t get on Ben’s nerves. He’s really done more than enough already, but Rey admits to herself that she wants more time with him. As much as he’ll give her, she thinks. Oh god, what’s happening to her?</p><p>While she wallows in the throes of admitting she has a crush, Ben comes striding back into the room carrying a framed poster and a space heater. He sets the heater down and declares proudly, waggling his eyebrows, “Somebody ordered a poster signed by David Tennant?” </p><p>Rey jumps up from the bed to take a look.</p><p>“Holy shit! You actually have it. This is nuts! Where’d you get this??”</p><p>“My Aunt Maz took me to Chandrila Comic Con. She actually knows him personally, so she introduced me and everything. It was fucking sick.”</p><p>Rey can’t believe this.</p><p>“You have an aunt that knows David Tennant?? Oh my god. Your family is so insanely cool! Like. Did you hear yourself, Ben? AH.” </p><p>Ben is grinning from ear to ear watching Rey freak out over this. She keeps stroking the poster as though she can soak up any lingering David Tennant-ness. </p><p>“Seriously. Can your aunt like adopt me? I want a family with those kinds of connections. Shit, Ben,” Rey says. Ben gets it, mostly, but her comment sort of stops him short. </p><p>“Eh, my family’s not all it's cracked up to be,” he tells her.</p><p>Rey stops staring at the poster to look up at him. “Are you kidding? What I would give to have parents that can afford a house like this and a rad aunt who takes me to Comic Con…”</p><p>Ben huffs. “Those things don’t make a family good. Or even worth having.”</p><p>Rey’s face <em> falls </em>. She can’t believe he just said that. He doesn’t exactly know about her home life, but, oh my god. Really?</p><p>“Ben, you can’t mean that. Your family provides for you, they make sure you’re safe and have everything you need- probably everything you want, too!”</p><p>“Oh so that’s what makes a loving family? Giving each other...stuff? Shit like that doesn’t matter, Rey, if they’re never fucking around to enjoy any of it with you!” Ben declares, raising his voice.</p><p>A heavy silence settles over them for a moment.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I’m confused,” Rey says, taking a step back, unsure why he seems agitated at the turn in the conversation.</p><p>Ben steps away and grabs the remaining sweats on the bed.</p><p>“No, I’m sorry for getting upset,” he huffs. He goes over to his walk-in closet and shuts the door, then changes his pants. “It’s just that...I’ve struggled for a <em> long </em> time with feeling like my parents don’t care about me, Rey. I always felt ungrateful because sure, like you said, they always make sure I’m taken care of <em> physically </em>, but emotionally? They might as well not be in my life for all they check on how I’m feeling or ask about things I care about,” he says from inside the closet. He whips off his shirt and steps out. </p><p>Rey is momentarily distracted by the sight of his bare chest. </p><p>Her throat feels dry. </p><p>Is her throat dry? </p><p>And maybe she doesn’t need that space heater because it feels pretty damn warm in here all of a sudden.</p><p>Ben goes back to the bed and picks up a Darth Vader shirt to pull on. “And god, my parents always made me feel so fucking bad for hating it- all of it- the trips they’d send me on with my “aunts” and “uncles”. Aunt Maz isn’t even my real aunt. She’s just an old coworker of my dad. They shipped me off to my uncle or to a friend’s house for holidays, too. Every year, basically, Rey. They still do,” his voice cracks a little. He moves over to the space heater and plugs it in. Rey leans the poster against the bed gently and sits down at the foot of the bed.</p><p>“And my dad is gone so often he hasn’t even been around for any of my theater performances. I’ve been acting since I was in fourth grade, Rey, and he came to that first show and that’s it! Hell, he’s out of town right this fucking second because he can’t be bothered to stick around for my musical next week. He says he doesn’t get why I like it in the first place, but that’s not the fucking point, is it?” Ben’s voice sounds a little watery as he fiddles with the controls on the heater. His vision blurs a little bit from the tears forming in his eyes. “And my mom is always off helping her cause of the month. She spends all her time helping other people, fighting for change or whatever,” Ben’s breathing heavily now. He laughs weakly. “Sometimes it’s the humane society and other times it’s the soup kitchen or what the hell ever, but goddamnit, Rey, why can’t she see that <em> I </em>, her own living, breathing flesh and blood, am a cause worth fighting for?” Ben’s crying at this point. He knows it’s late, but this isn’t just exhaustion seeping through. He’s so tired of feeling alone and forgotten.</p><p>“SHIT!” he yells, jerking his hand away from the space heater he’s been messing with. “Fuck. I just...ah hell, Rey I cut my finger. And the damn thing isn’t even on the right setting,” Ben laments, holding his pointer finger. Rey can see that the cut is already bleeding, so she asks Ben if he’s got a first aid kit. He tells her where to find it in the bathroom, so she runs off to grab it. </p><p>When she comes back, Ben’s sitting on the bed. He’s stopped crying, but his face his red and splotchy and Rey’s heart aches again for him. She hadn’t ever thought about how it might feel to have to know a family that doesn’t seem to want you. Ben’s explanation cut right through her heart. As she listened to him, she realized how similar they actually are. As sad as it made her, she felt a little bit of hope knowing that there’s someone else who experiences anything even similar to what she goes through. </p><p>She sits down next to him and pulls out some wipes to clean up the blood from the cut. It’s a long, jagged gash that needs to be held together tightly to stop the blood and help it heal. What the hell did he even cut it on, she wonders. </p><p>“I’m sorry,” he sniffles. </p><p>“No, Ben, don’t be. I...I just assumed. A lot. I never thought you might feel that way. It’s easy for me to assume that having parents and money would make all my problems disappear, but obviously, that’s wrong.” She gives him a soft smile as she begins to bandage his wound. Ben lets her.</p><p>“Still, I shouldn’t have gotten so upset over some insignificant little comments. I knew you didn’t mean anything bad...I just get so fucking in my head sometimes. I’m sorry,” he apologizes again.</p><p>Rey shrugs, wrapping his finger. “Well thank you for that. But I want to apologize, too. You’ve got shit in your life I can’t fully understand, but I want you to know that I see you, Ben. We met because you were at school trying to do something for other people because it’s what you believe is right. You keep doing the things you love, even if no one in your life supports it. You are determined and strong, Ben,” she tells him, but he’s not looking at her. “I mean it, Ben. You are stronger than you know.” He looks back at her. </p><p>“Rey, it...means more to me to hear you say that than I can explain,” he says. Rey just gives him one of those blinding smiles.</p><p>“I’m...I’m glad,” she says quietly.</p><p>She finishes treating his wound and puts the wrappers and first aid kit aside.</p><p>“There. That should do the trick,” she says, looking back up into Ben’s eyes. God, they’re so deep, she feels like she could stare at them all day and never grow tired of it. They’d moved a little while she fixed up his finger, and she suddenly realizes how close he is.</p><p>Ben leans even closer and whispers, “Thank ya, angel.” </p><p>He’s kept his eyes locked on hers up till now, but they briefly flick down to her lips. Oh my god. Oh my god. Is he thinking about <em> kissing </em>her? Rey’s never kissed a boy. What if she’s awful at it? She’s ahem practiced kissing her pillow before, but those pillows are nowhere near as plush as Ben’s lips. He leans a little closer, and his hand drifts up to the back of her neck. He’s so gentle, Rey can’t help but smile at him. She hesitantly brings her own hand up to the side of his face. Her eyes flick down to his lips, then back up to his eyes, which are gazing at her with such...admiration. </p><p>She decides to go for it. She leans in to kiss his lips and oh my fucking god, they’re even softer than she imagined. The moment she leans it to make it happen, Ben springs to life. The hand at the back of her neck moves a little higher to cradle the back of her head, and his other arm goes around her waist, pulling her even closer. They rock a little from side to side as their lips move gently against each other. Neither one of them knows what they’re doing, but Rey couldn’t care less. This moment is magic.</p><p>She pulls away first to catch her breath, but his arms are still tight around her. Rey bites her lip as they look at each other. And then Ben gives her the biggest smile she’s ever seen. He can’t look away from her face. She giggles a little bit and pushes his hair out of his face so she can see him fully. Ben chuckles a little with her. God. She was not expecting this night to go this way <em> at all. </em> She shivers, but not from the cold. Ben, however, mistakes her shivering for chill and remembers that he owes her something.</p><p>“Not that I ever want this to end, but how’s that hot chocolate sound now, sweetheart?” </p>
<hr/><p>They head downstairs to the kitchen and Ben goes to a cabinet to pull out a couple of mugs. He then rummages through the pantry to find the hot chocolate mix and marshmallows. Fucking yesss, he thinks when he finds what he’s looking for. His mom had bought the mini marshmallows perfect for hot chocolate. Score.</p><p>While he’s digging through the pantry, Rey hears the thump thump thump of a big dog making his way through the dining room. A big, brown Newfoundland comes padding into the kitchen, making Rey smile. He sees her and makes his way right over to her, and she bends down.</p><p>“Hi there, buddy,” Rey greets the giant fluff ball. “Whatcha doing, huh? Did we wake you up? Did we, huh? I’m sorry, buddy,” Rey says in that voice reserved just for good doggos. Ben turns away from making the hot chocolate and sees his best friend covering Rey in slobbery kisses.</p><p>“Chewie, hey Chewie, go easy on her, man. We don’t wanna scare her away, now,” he tells the dog.</p><p>“Ben, I don’t think there’s much you and Chewie could do at this point to scare me away.” At that moment, Chewie decides Rey’s been greeted sufficiently and heads over to say hi to his human, who puts his task on hold to give Chewie a good scratch. </p><p>When he goes back to preparing the hot chocolate, he maybe accidentally drops a few marshmallows so Chewie can have a little snack. Rey doesn’t seem to notice, or if she does, she doesn’t mention it. He brings their hot chocolate to the island and pulls out a stool for Rey. She takes a sip of her’s and is left with a chocolate mustache, which is- oh my god- so fucking cute. Ben has to hold back a laugh. He decides to ask her something instead.</p><p>“So where’d you learn to bandage a wound so well?” </p><p>Rey’s smile fades a little bit. She knows he’s just curious and probably has no idea all the memories that such a question brings to her mind. </p><p>“Uhhh, well in some of my foster homes, it was just easier to deal with things on my own, ya know? So I guess, um, I just learned a lot of things to take care of myself,” she cringes a little at how that sounds. “It’s useful though, obviously, knowing first aid, so that’s...nice,” she finishes, not knowing what else to say.</p><p>Ben takes this news in stride. </p><p>“Oh okay, that’s perfect, actually. Suits my plans just fine,” he says to her smugly. She raises a brow. </p><p>“What plans?” she asks.</p><p>“Well I already know you can pick locks, so when we team up to rob the whole neighborhood of all their mayonnaise- we’re going <em> big </em> next time, sweetheart- I know I’ll be fine if like a dog attacks me or whatever because you can just heal me right up. You pick the locks, I’ll deal with whatever’s behind the door. Simple, really,” he says, holding back a smirk. </p><p>A smile slowly creeps it’s way back onto Rey’s face. She shakes her head as she laughs. “You’re crazy, you know that? Crazy!” </p><p>Ben shrugs, laughing with her. “You like it,” he says confidently and watches that adorable blush make its way across her cheeks again.</p><p>They go back to drinking their hot chocolate and chat for a little bit about their classes. They swap stories about Mr. Russell, the geometry teacher who loves terrorizing students with insanely hard pop quizzes. He tells her about theater and she tells him about the Falcon she’d just helped Plutt restore. Ben’s never felt like he could talk to anyone so easily and all the things that have been bugging him this week are so far from his mind when he’s talking to Rey that they might as well have never happened. He just can’t help but want to know everything about her that she’s willing to share with him, so he steers the conversation back to something she mentioned earlier.</p><p>“Do you…” he starts to say, suddenly realizing he doesn’t quite know how to ask this. “I mean-- was foster care...alright?” he asks, then adds, “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.”</p><p>Rey doesn’t look upset or anything, so he manages not to cringe too hard internally.</p><p>“There’s not much to tell, really. My parents left me at a library when I was 4. The police tried to find them, but it seems like they didn’t want to be found. I was passed from foster home to foster home after that until I landed with Plutt.” At that detail, a slight frown does start to appear on her face. “I’ve been with him for all of high school, and I’m pretty sure he just keeps me around to help him make extra cash. I sometimes fix cars or scavenge shit for him. I don’t remember my parents too much, actually, so…” she says. She’s always felt silly missing something she can’t even remember.</p><p>“I have some like vague memories of...of someone singing to me at night,” Rey pauses and considers telling him the next bit.</p><p>“Rey.” Ben’s eyes are soft as he reaches for her hand. “Rey, I can’t imagine.”</p><p>Right now, in this giant kitchen with its three ovens and fancy lights, the only thing Rey sees is Ben. The way he’s looking at her is-- well, it makes her bones feel a little bit like jelly. A good kind of jelly, somehow. She lets out a shaky breath and decides to tell him something she’s never told anyone else.</p><p>“Sometimes, I actually imagine my mom singing to me. When I’m-- when I’m scared.”</p><p>Ben furrows his brows and frowns a bit. His heart is beating so hard he can feel it in his pinky toe. He recognizes the gravity of what she’s just shared with him and he can’t help but think that nobody- and he means nobody- should have to develop a coping mechanism like that. Especially not somebody like his angel, sitting in front of him sharing these precious pieces of herself. </p><p>“Are you...do you feel scared a lot, Rey?”</p><p>She hesitates and there’s a deep sinking feeling in his chest. She’s not looking at him when she says, “Sometimes. I don’t always know how or what I’m gonna eat. That’s the real reason I sneak into the school cafeteria at night- because I’m hungry. And Plutt can get...angry, too. He’s never hit me or anything, but he yells. A lot. I know he’s just a mean, angry man who’s got his own problems, but it’s not...fun. To be around that all the time. I mostly just imagine my mom singing and hope that my life will get better one day. I know it will. It’s just hard to feel so alone for now,” she says.</p><p>“You’re not alone,” Ben replies, looking her right in the eyes. He reaches out his hand for her to hold. She takes it. Ben rubs his thumb along the back of her hand. Rey has never felt like anyone out there could ever understand her, but now-- well, she thinks she and Ben are maybe two halves of a whole. They’re a little broken on their own, but together. God. Maybe they could really be something. </p><p>“Neither are you,” she whispers and gives him a shy smile. They sit like that for a bit, just sipping on their hot chocolate and basking in the feeling of being <em> known </em>.</p><p>After a few minutes, Ben notices her empty mug and asks, “Would you like some more hot chocolate?” </p><p>She smiles at him and nods, so he gets up to make some more. When he brings it back to her at the island, he declares, “One pipin hot chocolate for one piping hot girl.” He’d thought of that just now, it just came to him out of fucking no where and he’s pretty damn sure it’s gonna earn him a blush.</p><p>Sure enough, Rey’s jaw drops a little bit and a blush indeed flies furiously over her face, almost eclipsing her freckles.</p><p>“Ben,” she says, reaching up to cover her face. “Stop, oh my god!” she giggles.</p><p>“Listen, sweetheart, I don’t know if I’ve made it clear enough yet, but you should know that I think you’re fucking b-e-a-utiful. Like. Rey, I’ve seen the Roarin Boring Atlas in person,” he pauses at the confused look on her face and corrects, “the Northern Lights, Rey, ya know?” She laughs and shakes her head again, but he keeps going, because she <em> needs </em> to hear this. “Okay well, I’ve seen them. And that shit’s got nothing on your eyes.” </p><p>Rey feels like she’s floating. He thinks…?</p><p>“And ya know how on like a really clear night if you’re out by Hidden Creek really late, you can see almost all the stars in the sky?” Rey does know. The view of the stars out there puts every other view she’s seen of the heavens or earth to shame. She nods. </p><p>Ben continues, “Well, those freckles you’ve got all over,” he begins. Oh no, she hates her freckles. “Your freckles leave me more breathless than the stars at Hidden Creek ever could.”</p><p>A tear finally slides its way down Rey’s cheek. She’s speechless. She wonders if it’s possible to actually literally combust from blushing. </p><p>She’s never seen herself the way Ben is describing. I mean, she’s never really put much stock in her appearance in general. It’s kind of hard to focus on things like buying makeup or the right shoes to go with your favorite top when you don’t even know where your next meal is gonna come from. Or if there will be one at all. She can barely comprehend that he believes what he’s saying, but she can tell he’s being nothing but genuine with her.</p><p>“And ya know...ya know, I’m one lucky, undeserving bastard because what you’ve shown me tonight is that on top of all that, you are so goddamn brave, Rey,” he says in a rush. Whew. He exhales slowly before continuing. He’s started now, there’s no going back. “And resilient, too. More than anyone I’ve ever met. Your smile may knock me out, but sweetheart, more than anything about the way you look, it’s all this bright, shining hope and joy you’ve got that’s driving me wild. You carry them like they’re a damn shield, but what I can’t get over is that you carry them at all. I can only imagine how heavy it must feel to keep moving forward like you do after all these years. God knows I’ve sort of given up hoping things will change with my parents. I used to think I may never hope for it again.”</p><p>“What changed?” Rey asks softly.</p><p>Ben looks at her. He brings his hand up to gently run his knuckles along the side of her face, pushing back some errant curls. His hand slides to cup the side of her head. She has to fight to keep her eyes from closing as she leans into his hand. He takes a deep breath.</p><p>“You,” he replies, his eyes molten chocolate. God, she’s drowning. She thought she was at risk of falling, but it’s too late. She’s fallen so hard already, there’s no going back. Best to just enjoy the dive while she can. She needs to explain how grateful she is to <em> him </em> . How much she feels he’s already helped her, which sounds crazy since they <em> just </em>met, but she knows deep in her bones that he’s changed her life for the better.</p><p>“Ben, I--”</p><p>She’s interrupted by the sound of boots shuffling their way down a hallway Ben hasn’t taken her down yet. A man with peppered hair and the beginnings of a scruffy beard appears. He’s wearing a brown leather jacket and stops at the threshold of the kitchen. Ben’s gone deathly still. The man leans against the wall, eyebrows raising in a look that is becoming more and more familiar to Rey. He takes a step forward and speaks.</p><p>“Hey, kid.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>TW:<br/>- vomit, nothing is described in detail at all, but if you’d like to avoid it, stop reading at<br/>“...left high and dry in front of all those people?” You should be good to pick up again at “After he’d changed, he’d felt…”<br/>- Referenced neglect and emotional abuse. Stop reading at “...sitting in front of him sharing these precious pieces of herself.” And you can pick it up again at “To be around that all the time…”</p><p>Thank you for reading!! If you liked, lemme know pleeeaaaase? </p><p>Until next time…&lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Blue Plate (part 1)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Some chats that need to be chatted are had.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WOO WEE, my friends. If you’ve made it back here for this final chapter, thank you for your patience!! I am so sorry for the wait— I know so many of you have checked in with me, and I appreciate your thoughts, but all I can really say is that life got in the way of me finishing this one and before I knew it more than a month had gone by! Eek. I’m so sorry. </p><p>Tbh, I also struggled with this one because before posting the first chapter, I had most of chapters 1-4 written, but this one was all new. Also, because it turned into a bit of a monster, I decided to split it into two chapters for ease of reading, but never fear, both chapters are here! It also features some heavier conversations that I know could mean a lot to yall, especially in the wake of TROS, and man, I just wanted to get it right. </p><p>I’m still not sure if I’ve done that, but it’s finished, and I’m as pleased as I think I can be, so I really really hope you enjoy. </p><p>Happy reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> Cold nights and the Sunday mornings </em>
</p><p>
  <em> On your way and out of the grey </em>
</p><p>
  <em> I've got time, I've got love </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Got confidence you'll rise above </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Give me a minute to hold my girl </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Ben can’t stop holding his breath. The moment his dad walked down that damn hallway, he felt the air in his lungs get <em> stuck </em>. His body’s been totally, completely frozen in place, while his mind has been on a continuous loop of “oh shit, oh fuck” since he realized his dad was walking in on him and the only girl he’s ever wanted to impress. </p><p>This was bout to be a shit show.</p><p>And he can’t even make his lungs do their damn job properly.</p><p>Several awkward moments pass in which neither Ben nor Rey greets Han back or makes any attempt to explain what they’re doing standing in the kitchen at 4 a.m.</p><p>“Hey there, sweetheart. Doesn’t seem like my boy here’s got much to say, so uh you mind tellin me what’s goin on?” Han asks, taking a few more steps into the kitchen to lean his hip against the counter opposite the island Ben and Rey stand at.</p><p>“Oh um...I was...Ben, he- okay, so I was walking home in the rain, and Ben just um offered to let me stay till the storm blew over,” Rey explains haltingly.</p><p>Han nods slowly, keeping his eyes on the ground, his lips pursed slightly. </p><p>Ben still hasn’t moved an inch. He feels a bit like he did that time when he was little and got caught red handed feeding an entire pack of oreos to Chewie. </p><p>“Okay,” Han says, pushing off the counter and walking closer to where Ben continues to stand still. “Well, I guess now’s a good time to tell you that storm hasn’t let up even a little bit. Maybe we should get you settled in a guest room till I figure out what’s going on-”</p><p>Ben snaps right out of his father-induced stupor. </p><p>“Nah ah. Nope. No way in hell, pops,” Ben steps over to Han and leans in close. “Rey’s a nice girl, and whatever’s got ya here in the middle of the night, worrying over my shit when you haven’t given a fuck in <em> years </em> doesn’t mean you get to waltz in here and tell me and my girl- my, my friend what to do.” </p><p>Rey‘s jaw drops. “Ben!” she hisses. “Don’t be an ass!” she cries indignantly. Hadn’t he just talked about working on his relationship with his dad?</p><p>Han doesn’t look particularly bothered by his son’s outburst, but he maybe does look a little impressed at this young woman’s unflinching rebuttal of his obstinant son.</p><p>“No, no, he’s- he’s right,” Han says after another few moments of awkward silence.</p><p>“You don’t even know what the fuck you’re talking-” Ben starts to yell, then cuts himself off abruptly. “Wha-what?” he asks, unsure that he heard his dad right.</p><p>“I don’t have much of a right to come in here bossing you around since I haven’t been here to do any bossing before. Or much of anything else, for that matter,” Han says. </p><p>Ben is flab-ber-gast-ed. </p><p>His dad- the man who, some years, was gone for nearly nine months of the year and never showed any regret for a second of it- is standing here...recognizing his screw ups?</p><p>Ben wishes he could run down to Johnson’s farm because the pigs must be fuckin’ flying.</p><p>The awkward silence is broken by Rey who’s decided she’s had enough of this back and forth with the Solo men.</p><p>“Ya know, actually, maybe it would be a good idea for me to head to bed…would- I mean could one of you maybe point me in the direction of a guest room?” Rey asks tentatively. </p><p>Ben still has no idea what’s going on, but he recognizes that whatever conversation his dad wants to have is not something he wants Rey to hear, that’s for sure. </p><p>“Yeah, yeah, sure thing, sweeth— uhh I um Rey,” Ben says. “Why don’t you head upstairs, and I’ll meet you up there in just one sec. I gotta grab some extra blankets from down here first.”</p><p>“Ben,” Han starts to say something- probably undoubtedly stupid, Ben thinks- so he cuts him off before he can mess this up even further.</p><p>“Ah that’s alright, Pops.” </p><p>“I didn’t even—“</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Ben assures his father. “I’ll just get Rey settled and then we can…chat.”</p><p>Han looks slightly appeased, and his shoulders relax. Rey gives Han a small smile, one she hopes is encouraging because as unexpected as his appearance is, she can’t help but feel that Han showing up here at this exact moment is fate.</p><p>Rey heads upstairs, leaving the Solos in an awkward standoff for the moment. She makes her way back into Ben’s room, not wanting to wander around too much on her own. This is only half because she’s afraid of getting into a room or something she’s not welcome to; the other half of her is convinced that this house is so large, she’s bound to get lost if she wanders too far. </p><p>She heads over to where she dropped her backpack earlier, but as she picks it up, her headphones fall out of the side pocket of the backpack. Rey kneels down to pick them up and stick em back in the main compartment of her backpack when something under the dresser catches her eye. She leans a little closer to figure out what exactly it is. </p><p>Rey knows she shouldn’t mess with Ben’s stuff. For as much as they’re getting along well enough, she knows how Plutt gets when she touches his shit, and she can imagine that other people, Ben included, might feel the same way. </p><p>That little niggling voice inside her head is yelling pretty hard at her to turn around, leave it be, but part of whatever it is catches the light and shines a little, just for a moment, and she’s going for it now.</p><p>She pulls on the little corner sticking out from under the dresser- its a little bigger than she thought it’d be.</p><p>Rey was anticipating some more nerdy shit or some theater related thing, but what she pulls out is a frame. </p><p>More specifically, it’s a navy blue ceramic frame, but one of the corners is chipped pretty bad and the glass in that corner and the  center is cracked, too, which must’ve been what had caught her eye. The frame is empty, and Rey wonders what happened for it to end up damaged and shoved under the dresser like this, but upon further inspection, she realizes there is in fact a picture in the frame. The place where the photo would normally sit is white, and she had assumed this was the back of the frame, but it turns out its the back of the photo. </p><p>Her inner voice is full on screaming at her to leave it be, to put it back, to abort abort abort— </p><p>But next thing she knows, she’s got the frame cradled gently in one hand and the back of the frame in the other, and she’s left staring at the photo in the frame.</p><p>There’s two people in the photo. One is clearly a much younger Han. He’s got this roguish grin on his face as he looks at the camera, what appears to be (but couldn’t possibly be?) the same leather jacket she’d seen him wearing a few minutes ago downstairs, and he’s standing next to a small stage in what is clearly a school cafeteria with his arm around a little boy. </p><p>The boy is probably about nine or ten, and he’s wearing what is clearly an elf costume. He’s got on green and white striped pants with a red vest and he’s even got (admittedly large) pointy elf ears. He’s wearing a green hat with a little bell on top, and black curly hair pokes out from under the hat as he looks up at Han with the biggest smile on his face. The way he’s looking at Han would make her think this is a father and son that have could have only grown closer as time passed, but she knows this little boy with the big brown eyes is Ben. She knows now what their relationship is like, and she knows there’s nothing to help the little piece of her heart that cracks as she begins to imagine the chain of events that must have led to the state of this frame. </p><p>Rey takes the photo, frame, and her backpack over to the bed and sits down. The little voice telling her not to snoop stopped trying a minute ago, so there’s no hesitation as she leans back against the headboard and carefully lifts the photo out of the frame to look more closely at it. She’s feeling pretty sleepy, she recognizes that, so its easy to blame the single tear that slips down her cheek on exhaustion. She takes a deep breath, trying to still her aching heart, and closes her eyes, hoping in some small way to halt the flood of emotions that finding this picture has unleashed on her. </p><p>In another life, Rey knows she may have resented Ben after learning the things she’s discovered tonight. She might have wondered at the injustice of a universe that led to a spoiled, rich kid with loving parents who rejected their support in favor of broody night time break-ins. Instead, she finds herself marveling at the way this night turned out so that she met Ben right before this moment in time- a time when both Ben and his father might be ready to be a little gentler with one another than ever before. </p><p>A time when she most needed a reminder that she’s not the only one who sometimes feels overlooked, who feels unheard and uncared for. A time when they both needed someone that <em> gets </em> them. </p><p>What a time, Rey whispers as she snuggles deeper into the bed. What a time, she thinks one last time before sleep claims her.  </p><p>~~~~~~~</p><p>“I uh got a call from your mom today...or yesterday,” Han says gruffly as Ben heads to the laundry room. “She told me you have a show opening this week. A big role, she said.”</p><p>Ben shrugs, walking back into the kitchen, several blankets in his arms. He was hoping to put off this conversation until after he got a chance to get Rey settled, but it looks like Han doesn’t wanna wait. “Yeah. I do. I actually told you about it months ago, but...I know you don’t listen when I talk about....uh well ya know about anything really,” he bites out snidely. </p><p>He sees the way Han flinches at his bitter tone, but he’s just....so confused and tired and frustrated. Where is Han going with this?</p><p>“Um, yeah. Yeah, I believe you. I haven’t done a good job of that- listening.”</p><p>Ben’s so taken aback that he barely registers that he set the blankets down on the island. His eyes dart side to side as his mind struggles to catch up to what’s happening. Han didn’t get defensive just now, and he didn’t yell or walk away. He- he’s...looking at Ben like he’s....damn, is that an apologetic look in his eyes?</p><p>Ben’s jaw drops a little. “Uhhh, I.....” he trails off.</p><p>Han nods and leans forward so his elbows are resting on the top of the island.</p><p>“I’ll uh come back to the listening thing, but I have some things I gotta say,” he says firmly. “Things I wanna say, I mean. If you’re uh...hell if you’re willing to give your old man a chance.”</p><p>There’s a long pause as Han waits for Ben to give him permission to continue. </p><p>When he realizes why Han’s waiting, Ben replies with a very tentative, “Uh, sure?” </p><p>Ben doesn’t really believe in aliens- like maybe Bigfoot’s real, but fuckin aliens? He’s never believed in them, except for right now. Yeah...yeah, maybe right this damn second, he’s becoming a believer because he’s starting to think this man in front of him is not his father, but instead some body snatching, empathetic alien. What the hell?</p><p>“So I got that call from your mom, right, and well, it got me thinking how I haven’t been to many of your shows and I realized...I’ve actually only ever been to one- that first one. And fuck. I don’t know how to explain it but it really hit me,” Han blows out a deep breath of air. There might be a tremor in his voice when he speaks again. “I haven’t been there for you. I...I mean, I obviously have been here physically, but I don’t think I’ve been there for you when you’ve got something going on, when it matters, ya know?”</p><p>Han stands back up, and Ben is still confused because there’s no teasing, there’s no indication any of this is less than dead serious.</p><p>“Um. Yeah. I do,” Ben says cautiously.</p><p>Han nods some more and looks away for a moment.</p><p>“So there I am, after I hung up with your mom, wondering what I’m gonna do to uh to fix this. To, ya know, be your father in a way that uh doesn’t drive you to beat your friends up in the baseball field.”</p><p>Ben’s eyes go wide. How does he know about fight club??</p><p>“Oh don’t give me that, I’m not blind, Ben. And I know that I’ve played a role in your... uh...the way you deal with your anger.”</p><p>“You mean my anger issues? What was it Luke once said? Oh yeah. My ‘horrifyingly unbridled rage’,” Ben mockingly quotes. He thinks it’ll come out a little viciously, but it just sounds sad in his ears. Defeated.</p><p>Han leaves his side of the island and comes to stand in front of Ben. He has to look up a little to look Ben in the eyes.</p><p>“What Luke said was wrong. He dealt with his own issues when he was younger in his own way. That don’t mean it’ll work the same way for you, and I owe you an apology. Lot’s of apologies. I’m willing to admit I’ve missed the mark, Ben. I...I want you to know I see that now, son.”</p><p>Ben is...speechless. His dad is not only owning up to the things that have over and over again caused turmoil in Ben’s very mind, but he’s responding so calmly, so genuinely full of...love.</p><p>“I’m not saying you don’t have things to work on. We all do. But I’m...I’m acknowledging my role in this. In how I’ve failed you, and how I have missed getting to know you and the man you’re becoming.”</p><p>A heavy silence hangs between them. Ben feels an ache behind his eyes. Han is just looking at him, almost as if for the first time. His pops clears his throat.</p><p>“So there I am, recognizing how shitty of a father I’ve been and flailing around like a damn idiot when a buddy of mine asks me about you. Well he asks about my family, and I tell him about Leia’s fundraisers and I go to tell him about you and— and Ben when I couldn’t give him any more details about your interest in theater other than that you like it, I was ashamed. So fuckin disappointed in myself. In a lot of the choices I’ve made when it comes to you.”</p><p>Is this real life? Is this happening? To him? Ben’s breathing faster, but he barely notices.</p><p>“So I call Maz and—“</p><p>“Aunt Maz....why’d you call her?” Ben asks, wildly confused. His hippy aunt with the coke bottle glasses has always been closer to Han than to Leia, but like, why is Han calling her up about this type of shit?</p><p>“She was your mother’s and my marriage counselor a few years back,” Han says, as if it’s common knowledge. Ben is floored. He had no idea his parents had like talked to someone about their issues. Maybe Han isn’t being run by a body snatching alien, after all. Maybe Ben’s been body snatched his whole life and is only just now waking up.</p><p>“So anyway, I called her, and I tell her what’s going on, how I’m having this epiphany, and she asks me what I’m going to do about it. I tell her I know I gotta be better, I gotta be better for you and your mom and Maz, and she says to me, ‘There! You have your answer.’ And that’s when I knew, Ben. I knew I had to come back. Right then. So I rented a car. Paid a damn arm and a leg, but to hell with it. I had to be here. I have to be here later, too, I know.”</p><p>The ache is just starting to become a bit of a roar in his ears, now, too, Ben realizes.</p><p>“What...what are you saying? I...”</p><p>“I want to be better, Benjamin. Starting now. If...if you’re willing to meet me in the middle, that is. I want to...to get to know you, son. To have a shot at a second chance. If you’re willing.”</p><p>It’s with that comment that Ben realizes the weight of this situation and what it means to Han. He thought he was just pulling another typical Talk about Responsibilities and Being A Man. It’s late- or early or what the fuck ever- but as tired as Ben is, he sees the sincerity in his father’s eyes. He hasn’t called him kid since he first walked in, and that’s basically Han’s M.O., his uh, his moats opera Randy (Ben thinks he’ll ask Rey about that term later): patronization thrown in with a little endearment. But it hasn’t happened since Han really started this conversation. And he did randomly ditch a job- why else would he have shown up at this god forsaken hour? Everything about this conservation indicates sincerity.</p><p>Part of Ben really doesn’t want to believe it. He’s been here before. He’s thought his dad would change, he’d hoped for a different outcome, wished for a father who understood the importance of actually being around and taking time to listen to him. And every time he got his hopes up, they’d been crushed. Every time. </p><p>So he really, really isn’t sure why the hell he feels so compelled to believe Han right now. </p><p>Maybe it’s that the man has been more transparent in these few minutes than Ben’s ever seen him before or that he’s treating Ben like an actual real life fucking adult or maybe it’s even because of a certain someone upstairs who reminded him the importance of clinging to hope- but whatever the reason, he feels it in his bones, in his very soul that this is an important moment. </p><p>And just like that, he wants to tell Han that he gets it. That he’s gonna work on it, too. That he’s grateful for all the things Han’s made possible in his life by working hard jobs. That...that he loves him. So much.</p><p>But all that comes out when he tries to channel all these emotions rushing through him into words is a single watery word.</p><p>“Dad....”</p><p>Han’s eyes soften, and he takes a step towards Ben. His eyebrows raise a little, and he gives Ben a gentle smile, his face totally open. He reaches up to hold the side of Ben’s face, where tears now flow freely. </p><p>“I know,” his dad says. “I know, Ben. I love you, too, my boy.”</p><p>With that, Ben lets loose the sob that’s been sitting in the back of his throat for...well for years, probably. He knows they have to work on this, that there’s a rough road ahead for both of them as they learn to communicate with one another and rebuild trust, but it’s like this moment has bulldozed through the flood gates. He cries out the frustration, the fear, the feelings of never being enough, of confusion.</p><p>Han wraps his son up in his arms, letting Ben cry into his chest, probably getting snot all over Han’s jacket. He doesn’t mind; he’s content to let his son get it all out. </p><p>Just as Ben’s sniffling begins to quiet, a light flicks on down the hall. </p><p>“Ben?” a voice roughened by sleep calls softly.</p><p>Oh great, Ben thinks, pulling away from his pops. That’s just what he needs. He and his dad have just like climbed a fucking mountain together, and he’s a sniffling mess, and now mom’s here. It’s one thing for Han to know Ben has a girl in the house at 4 a.m., but there’s no way Leia Organa is gonna let it slide so easily. Shit shit shit, be cool, Ben, be cool. You and your Dad who have a pretty contemptuous, rocky relationship are just uh just uh catching up. No crying. No random girls who might be the love of his life. Nope, uh he means...yeah. Yeah. And he made hot chocolate! Because <em> Han </em> likes that. Maybe. Yeah. Definitely. Probably.</p><p>Everything’s fine.</p><p>“What’s going on?” Ben’s mom asks as she shuffles down the hall into the kitchen. She’s wearing a gray silk robe and the memory foam slippers with the navy pom poms. Her hair is done up in the braids she usually sleeps in. She looks exhausted, Ben thinks. </p><p>“Oh we’re just chat having— uh having chats. Chatting. Chit chatting it up,” Ben rushes out, angling his body slightly away from his mother’s perceptive eyes. She totally knows he’s been crying with the look she’s giving him and the raised eyebrow she directs at Han, but she doesn’t address it verbally.</p><p>“I see. What a perfect time for a <em> nice chit chat </em>, huh boys?” Leia asks calmly, crossing her arms.</p><p>Han nods, looking his wife right in the eyes. This woman can see right through him, he knows it well enough after all these years. No sense in hiding. </p><p>Whatever Leia reads there in the look he gives her is enough for her to leave the obvious fact that Ben’s been crying alone. She’s an excellent room reader, and while part of her cries out that her baby boy shouldn’t be crying, there’s a sense of peace permeating the air that she can’t ignore. There’s a conversation to be had, but that’s for another day.</p><p>“Were you cold, Benny?” Leia asks instead.</p><p>Ben knows his face is blotchy, but why would she think…?</p><p>“Huh?” He asks, jaw open just a little, eyebrows furrowing slightly.</p><p>Leia gestures to the island. “Well all the blankets...were you cold? Or maybe planning on building a fort...at 4 a.m.?” </p><p>Ben knows his mother is a smart woman, so it feels a little like being a mouse caught in the sights of a very clever cat. Damn. Damnnit. Uhhhhh—</p><p>“Ben had a visitor, someone he felt needed a little help tonight. A place to crash,” Han explains, much to Ben’s growing horror.</p><p>Leia’s face softens. “Oh Benjamin, why didn’t you wake me? I could’ve had the room ready for him. Here, let me help you with that,” she says before promptly walking over to pick up the pile of blankets Ben had left on the island. </p><p>She knows her son has a soft heart in truth, so she’s not gonna question whatever it was that motivated him to open their home up to somebody that needed help. Heaven knows she’d been in a rough spot once or twice before and needed someone to offer a place to stay. It’s only fitting her boy is helping one of his friends like this this.</p><p>“NO,” Ben nearly yells as his mom starts heading towards the stairs. “I mean, uhhhh, just, I can do that. No problem. You don’t have to do that, Mama, I’m good, don’t want you to miss out on your beauty sleep,” he rushes out, following after her, trying to take the blankets from her arms.</p><p>“Benny, it’s fine,” she says light heartedly. Her baby is so silly sometimes, worrying over her.</p><p>Han takes up the rear as the three of them head upstairs, with Ben pleading for his mother to stop, to turn around, to just go to sleep, and Leia continuing to refuse his offers. </p><p>Han smirks. Oh ho ho boy.</p><p>“Is he in here, Ben?” Leia asks, pushing open her son’s bedroom door after she noticed the light was on.</p><p>“Mom, listen, I can explain—“ </p><p>Leia steps into the room and promptly drops the blankets.</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>“Mama, Mom, listen, I just—“</p><p>“Ssshhhhh!” Leia shushes her son. Ben has been frantically trying to come up with an excuse for why a pretty girl Leia’s never met is currently in his room, but he stops abruptly when he realizes why his mother has hushed him.</p><p>Laying on his bed next to her backpack full of cafeteria food, nestled amongst his pillows, softly snoring and fast asleep is Rey. </p><p>A soft snort comes from behind mother and son as Han comes into the room.</p><p>“Well I’ll be damned, son, there’s a girl in your bed,” Han says a little too loudly.</p><p>Both Leia and Ben give him completely unamused, side-eyed glares. Han grins.</p><p>Leia abruptly turns and gestures for them to head back out the door, holding up a finger to her lips to remind them to keep their objections to themselves.</p><p>Once they’re back in the hallway with the door closed, Leia doesn’t even have to say anything before Ben’s spilling his guts.</p><p>He tells them about the mayonnaise packets and about the unjust administration that he knows is ruling his school. He tells them about his plan to break in- <em> visit </em> is the word he uses- the school late at night to “liberate the condiments”. He tells them how he’d been interrupted by a random girl he swears he’s never seen before. Upon hearing his initial description of a “growly girl with an abundance of freckles”, Han and Leia share a knowing <em> look </em> that goes unnoticed by Ben. He’s on a roll. He doesn’t even know why he’s sharing all these details. He never shares this many details with anyone, and certainly not his parents, but the gates are open and the words are racing out.</p><p>“So she tells me about her foster dad, and Mom, he’s...he’s no good. At all. Fuckin vile. He doesn’t treat her right, and that’s why she has to break into the school, so she doesn’t <em> starve </em>. I mean...that’s fucking abhorrent,” Ben says, pausing to collect himself before he gets too worked up thinking about all that Rey’s had to endure. </p><p>Leia’s kept quiet through all of this, but she speaks up now.</p><p>“So that’s why you invited her here? To get her away from that man?” She asks gently.</p><p>“Well no...I mean yes? Maybe. I was mostly just thinking about how she was gonna walk however the hell far to get home and in the rain, and I just...couldn’t. I didn’t think that’d end well, I guess. So. I...invited her here,” Ben finished. </p><p>Leia and Han share another look.</p><p>“That was...a thoughtful thing you did, son, but won’t her foster father notice she’s gone in the morning? Will that cause even more problems?” Han questions. Leia has one arm crossed over her chest with her hand supporting the opposite elbow as she sort of rests her chin on her fist. It’s her thinking stance. Ben knows it well.</p><p>“I mean...maybe? I didn’t exactly think that far, I just saw her walking in the rain and man, I don’t know, something in my chest just felt so heavy, I had to do <em> something </em>,” Ben explains. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen tomorrow, I just knew what I wanted to do in that moment. It’s okay, right? You’ll let her stay?” He asks pleadingly.</p><p>“Oh honey, of course we will,” Leia assures him, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. “I’m proud of you for making the right call, even if there are a lot of things we’ll have to work through moving forward. I think I may actually have an idea that’ll...well it could change everything for that girl, but your father and I need to have a little talk and make a couple calls, but why don’t we get you set up in another room for the night first, hmm?” She suggests.</p><p>“Uh...yeah, sure,” Ben says, surprised at this whole turn of events. His parents are being...totally understanding about all this, which is basically the exact opposite of what he was expecting. “Lemme just...can I put another blanket on the bed next to Rey real quick? In case she gets cold?”</p><p>“Absolutely, your father and I will be down the hall when you’re finished,” Leia says, giving Han a hard look that he knows means to absolutely positively keep his mouth shut. She’s never seen her boy so smitten (because he is, whether or not he’s willing to admit that to them right now or not) and it’s just about the cutest damn thing she’s ever watched. She’ll give him a moment.</p><p>Han and Leia head down the hall to make sure there’s sheets in the guest room, and Ben quietly opens the door to his own room. He slips in, careful not to make too much noise, and brings a blanket over to his bed.</p><p>As he gets closer, he notices that Rey is holding something he hadn’t noticed before. It takes him a moment, but once his eyes register the navy blue, he realizes what she found. </p><p>That frame had been bought by Han on one of his many trips, and he brought it back to Ben when he was ten. Han had accurately thought that navy blue was young Ben’s favorite color, and it had been a gift Ben cherished over the years. He had even placed one of his favorite photos in it and set it on his dresser where he was sure to see it...well, that is until about a week ago when he couldn’t stand to look at it any longer.</p><p>As he’d gotten older, the photo had come to feel like a mocking reminder of things he’d never have again, of a relationship he didn’t know how to fix, of a time he wished he’d known to cherish. The other day when Leia had told Ben had wasn’t going to make it to his Beauty and the Beast performance, Ben had gone up to his room and just lost it. He’d taken the frame and pulled that picture out with the intent to rip it to shreds. When he found that he couldn’t do it, he instead flipped the photo around so he wouldn’t have to look at it any more. That, too, turned out to be too much, because even the ceramic frame was a reminder of his father, and in a last ditch attempt to ease the wound in his aching heart, he threw the thing down on the ground. He stomped on it for good measure before kicking it under the dresser, where he’d left it and where Rey undoubtedly had picked it up.</p><p>Looking at the frame now, Ben feels none of the anger from that day. He stares at it held loosely in long, slender fingers and finds himself only wishing he’d had just a little bit more patience. If only he had waited a few more days, then he might still have a whole, undamaged frame to look at and remind him of happy memories....but after another lingering glance at the girl holding the frame, Ben starts to think that maybe...maybe it’s for the best. Maybe things that have been broken a little bit actually mean more because they bear the stories they’ve been through in a way perfect things cannot. Maybe the frame’s better this way, he thinks the more he looks at it.</p><p>His pondering is interrupted by an unusually loud snore from Rey. She lets go of the frame and curls up even tighter around one of his pillows. God. He bets that pillow is gonna <em> smell </em>like her. Shit.</p><p>Rey nuzzles the pillow her cheek rests on and slowly opens her eyes. She blinks slowly up at him and her brow furrows just a little bit as her mind struggles to catch up to what’s in front of her.</p><p>“Ben? What…?”</p><p>“Hi there, angel, everything’s okay. Just tucking you in a little bit,” Ben whispers as he drapes the blanket he’d been holding across her. He smiles a goofy grin down at her, unbelieving that this perfect creature is looking at him like this, so open and full of trust. </p><p>“Mmmmm, fank ya, Behn,” Rey murmurs, her eyes drooping until they’re closed once again.</p><p>“Any time, baby,” he whispers, hoping she doesn’t hear the new endearment that’s just slipped out. He’s so fucking gone for this girl. God. </p><p>He leans down to pull the blanket up over her shoulders to make sure she’s nice and warm before leaning further to place a soft kiss on her forehead. She’s so beautiful, he thinks. There’s something loud and proud in his chest that screams at him to keep her safe, to make sure she never has to go to sleep hungry or afraid again. He’s never felt such strong conviction before, so he does his best to tamp it down for now. He figures he’ll think about it later, but even in this moment, he recognizes that his life isn’t ever going to be the same again.</p><p>With that thought, he heads out of his room and down the hallway to his waiting parents so he can finally get some sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>HE LOVES HER SO MUCH AGH<br/>Chapter 6 is up, so if you wanna, keep on chugging and I’ll see you on the other side :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Blue Plate (part 2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>5 days later</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sound of applause is abso-fuckin-lutely overhwelming in Ben’s ears. The sound is almost a physical thing in the way it takes over his senses and he has to fight to make himself step all the way forward to the front of the stage for curtain call. He bows low, and as he stands back up, he catches sight of his parents in the audience. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His mom is dressed up in what he thinks is way too fancy of a dress for a stupid little high school play, but she had insisted, “The occasion demands it of me.” His dad hadn’t taken quite the same approach, but he is wearing his nicest pair of jeans and a button up without any grease stains, so Ben’s honestly impressed. His mom and pops are on their feet, whooping unashamedly for him as he steps back into line with his cast mates. He can’t be sure from this distance, but based on the way his dad tries to discreetly wipe at his eyes, he’s pretty sure he’s crying. There’s a little part of Ben that feels validated- fucking finally- because he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows</span>
  </em>
  <span> he just gave an excellent performance, and he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows</span>
  </em>
  <span> the crowd loved it. In fact, based on the applause being given to the Beast and Belle right at that moment, he thinks it wouldn’t be an overestimate to say the crowd cheered loudest for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His cheeks heat with the flush of pride, knowing he’s done a good job, and they heat even further when he catches the eye of his girlfriend- </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking hell his girlfriend!</span>
  </em>
  <span>- sitting between his pops and Maz. Rey had apparently taken Leia’s advice and gone shopping with Maz for a new dress for the occasion of opening night. It’s an off the shoulder dress that flows softly down to her knees with little white flowers embroidered around the hem. It’s navy blue, and if he wasn’t sure a few days ago, he knows for sure right then that there’s no one else he’d rather spill his secrets to, no one else he’d rather joke with, tease until she blushes, laugh with, cry with, or kiss till he’s out of breath. It’s not even been a week and he knows that makes it seem rushed or maybe like he’s even insane, but he and Rey have been through a hell of a lot in those five days. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>~~~~~~~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The morning after he first met Rey was pretty fuckin chaotic. Rey had tried apologizing to Ben’s parents at least 253 times, he thinks, and they had reassured her kindly just as many that she was welcome in their home any time. After breakfast (toast— because let’s be real, Ben’s mama isn’t known for her culinary abilities), Leia had asked Rey if she’d be willing to meet with her and “an old friend” after school instead of returning to Plutt’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey had been hesitant. Sure, Plutt doesn’t pay much attention, but if she doesn’t come home for the second night in a row, he might notice </span>
  <em>
    <span>something </span>
  </em>
  <span>is missing...and that probably wouldn’t end well for her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia had mysteriously assured her that Plutt would no longer be a problem she’d need to worry about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Confused and a little unsure, Ben and Rey had gone to school, anyway. Like they’d figured out the night before, they didn’t have any classes together, but any time between classes was spent together, and after third period, Rey actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>held Ben’s hand. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Like in the hallway. In front of everyone. They walked together to the cafeteria to have lunch together, and the look on Mitty’s face when Ben strolled in with a girl was fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>priceless</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha….what….who?” Mitty stutters, confusion clearly written all over his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben laughs, sitting down next to Rey, across from Mitaka and explains, “This is Rey. She’s probably gonna be uh...like having lunch with us. Like from now on.” Good, Ben thought. That was smooth and cool and totally nonchalant like yeah he talks to girls, he even sometimes holds their hands. It’s totally normal, whatever, Mitty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mitaka’s jaw hangs a little in classic mouth-breather fashion, but he manages to pull it together well enough to shove his hand towards Rey with a quick, “I’m Mitaka, nicetomeetya.” And his voice only cracked once. Ben manages not to snort into his bag of cheetos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey gives Mitty a bright smile while reaching out to shake his hand. “Hi Mitaka! Ben’s told me a lot about you. I’m Rey, Ben’s girlfriend.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben full on chokes on a cheeto. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He coughs to try to cover it up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It...was a big cheeto,” he explains. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mitty is too shook up to pay much attention to him, but Rey laughs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mitty, especially since Ben told me you know about…” she pauses and lowers her voice, “the mayonnaise conspiracy, right?” Mitty nods. “Well, it just so happens I’ve decided to run for student council. Someone’s gotta look out for the little guy, right?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time, Ben just completely misses his mouth as he tries to eat a cheeto and the orange fluff gets all over his cheek. He doesn’t care. Rey said she’s running for student council. The opposite of blending in with the crowd. So she can help with the mayonnaise crisis. Because...because she cares. My god, Ben thinks. Dream girl it is then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey looks over at him and sees the cheeto mess and she laughs some more. She laughs and she laughs, and Ben feels lighter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After school, Ben and Rey head back to the Organa Solo house where an unfamiliar car is parked in the driveway. Leia has snacks waiting for them and gives the two of them a moment to unwind before she invites Rey into the study. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben waits (not at all) patiently in the living room with Chewie for whatever conversation his mom is having with Rey to end. What the hell could she even be saying to Rey for this long? It’s been almost two fucking hours at this point, and Ben has half a mind to stomp in there and ask why his mom needs so much time with his girlfriend. It’s fucking ridiculous, completely unreasonable, he thinks. He could be using this time to practice kissing Rey, for crying out loud, but his mom is hogging her. Ugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as he’s reaching his limit, his pops walks through the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey kid,” Han says cheerily. He’s carrying a pretty good sized box under one arm and he’s pulling a yellow suitcase behind him with the other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey...pops,” Ben greets him. They may have agreed to take steps in the right direction together and work on communication, but that doesn’t mean everything’s hunky dory, peachy keen, ay okay alright right away. Ben knows this, but he still feels a little awkward as he stands up to follow his dad into the kitchen where Han sets down the box and suitcase.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatsat?” Ben asks, wondering why Han would want anything to do with a yellow suitcase covered in daisies of all things.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh it’s...uh...um...did you talk with your mother? I’m not sure if I’m….uh…” Han rarely is speechless, so Ben immediately is put on edge. What’s he hiding from him? Didn’t they just agree to be honest and clear with each other?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen, Pops, you—“ Ben starts to call him out when the sound of the study door opening and several voices floats into the kitchen. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuckin finally!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ben thinks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey comes into the kitchen and, upon seeing Ben, rushes over to him, the biggest grin he’s seen yet on her face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ben! Ben! You’re not going to believe it!” She laughs into his ear as she practically jumps into his arms. He wraps her up tight, holding her close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben glances up to see his mother standing behind Rey, a pleased smile on her face, and next to her, is Maz, his (apparent) parents’ marriage counselor. What the fuuu—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ben, I don’t have to live with Plutt anymore,” Rey whispers into his ear. He pulls back to look at her. He searches her face for clarification that he’s misunderstood, that maybe this is some twisted joke, and not the best news he’s heard in </span>
  <em>
    <span>years</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It sounds too fucking good to be true, he has so many questions, but as he looks in Rey’s eyes, he sees nothing but bright, shining, honest to God </span>
  <em>
    <span>hope</span>
  </em>
  <span> and his chest swells with joy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you saying, angel?” He asks, feeling like he’s missing something. “What’s going on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pulls away from him and moves to stand a little closer to Maz. She looks at the older woman as if in question. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go on, sunshine, it’s your news to share,” Maz says to Rey encouragingly, nodding up at the young woman who quite frankly towers over her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey throws her arm around Maz. “Maz is gonna...gonna adopt me,” Rey says just before she breaks out into tears and laughs along with Maz and Ben’s mother, who’s now standing to Ben’s left. Maz hugs Rey and whispers something in her ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Leia says softly to Ben as an explanation, “Maz knows some people. I told her about your Rey after everything that happened last night...and well...this afternoon, Maz and I explained the situation to her. We left the decision entirely up to her. Based on what she’s told us, we’re fairly certain Plutt won’t be responsible for another foster child for the rest of his life. And it works out so wonderfully, see, because Maz here has always wanted a daughter, but...well, the timing was never right…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...until now.” Ben finishes, sharing a smile with his mother.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He can hardly believe what he’s hearing. He feels like he’s in a whole ass movie. Yesterday his world was gray and the most important thing was fuckin mayonnaise. Today, everything’s in full color and anything seems possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s grinning so hard his face is probably gonna hurt later. He watches as the yellow suitcase and box catch Rey’s eye and she runs over to Han. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My things!” She exclaims. “How…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I just had a little bit of a...chat with your old foster father. We were hoping you’d..uh...say yes, I guess, to the uh proposal,” Han says, gesturing to Leia and Maz. “And Plutt shouldn’t be contacting you anymore. Ever again, actually. If he does, you come tell ole Han and I’ll take care of it,” Han says resolutely. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey hugs him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The following days had been a whirlwind of change for Rey, from shopping to moving to throwing together a student council campaign. Rey had never before gotten to so much as pick out a bedspread for her room, so having to make choices about her home felt unbelievably foreign. All her earthly possessions fit into one box and a suitcase, but Maz was already making sure to make up for the hard years Rey spent essentially on her own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every night, Rey and Ben texted and called and Ben learned that Maz is a bueno fight (“Bona fide, Ben. Bona fide,” Rey had corrected patiently) chef. He learned that Maz had also apparently been holding out on him, seeing as she’d gifted Rey with a Star Wars poster signed by the cast. Where the hell had she even been hiding that sucker, Ben wonders. Whatever, he decides. If anyone deserves it, it's absolutely Rey.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The days leading up to opening night seemed to fly by for Ben, and before he knew it, he was standing on the stage, next to his castmates, grinning at his girlfriend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>~~~~~~~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I really enjoyed the show,” Rey says quietly to Ben, reaching out to hold his hand. They’re sitting side by side outside, their backs against the side of the school. Ben’s still wearing his Gaston pants (Kaydel’s gonna kill him) and he’s still riding the high of performing a little bit, if he’s being honest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He leans his head back against the side of the building and turns to look at Rey. He squeezes her hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were phenomenal and like...this whole other person on stage. I think I was practically holding my breath every second you were up there. That’s...it’s like you just demand so much attention when you’re on stage,” Rey grins at him. “I’m really blown away, Ben. Really.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, sweetheart. Really,” he says with a smirk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He pulls on her hand so that she scoots closer to him, and he surprises her by pulling her up and into his lap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ben!” She shrieks. He laughs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is this okay?” He asks, pausing his movements. “I just wanna hold you,” he says, the tips of his ears on fire. “If...if that’s alright,” he quickly adds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey settles back against his chest, and he wraps his arms around her, clasping his hands together in front of her. She reaches up with her right hand and runs her knuckles along his forearm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Course,” she says sweetly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey can feel the vibrations in his chest as he hums in acknowledgement and pulls her a little closer to his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They sit for a few minutes, just </span>
  <em>
    <span>being </span>
  </em>
  <span>with each other. They’ve only just begun getting to know one another, but Rey’s starting to think it won’t matter if she has the rest of her life to get to know him, she won’t ever get enough of Ben.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, angel!” Ben whispers quickly. He points up at the sky above. There’s a lone white light streaking across the night sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey gasps, marveling at the beautiful sight of a sky full of stars, broken up by one brightly burning hunk of rock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A shooting star,” she murmurs, thinking of the last time she’d seen one. She’d been eleven or twelve, in between foster families. Her case worker had been driving her to a new home, but they had stopped at a gas station. Rey had peered up at the night sky and seen her familiar stars and that one bright streaking light and thought to herself, some day. Some day, she wasn’t gonna be so lonely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her thoughts are interrupted by Ben who’s gesturing excitedly towards another corner of the sky.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rey, there’s two!” he gasps, not at all able to keep the wonder from his voice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey looks over to where he’s pointing and sees the second shooting star. This one’s headed right towards the other making its way across the sky. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit,” Ben says. “I mean...like...think of all the places they could go, all the places they must’ve been...it’s fuckin wild that they’re both here, right now,” he pauses in awe before adding softly, “Guess they were meant to meet at just this moment, huh?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Rey agrees, grasping his hand and holding tightly. “I guess they were.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you to each of you who have been on this journey with me- this is the first multi-chapter fic I ever started writing, and it’s been such fun to get to share it with you. If you liked it, please do let me know in the comments. They feed me like the greedy lil comment hog I am. </p><p>Also, I know a few of you have expressed interest in seeing this story continued. If that’s still the case, I might be convinced to share additional snapshots from this AU, so let me know in the comments or on twitter what you might like to see and MAYBE it’ll happen...we shall see. </p><p>Lastly, the world is crazy right now, so I hope each of you are staying safe! I’m definitely still writing, even amongst the craziness, so if you liked this story, maybe check back in the future to see what I’m up to during this time of self-isolation and what not. </p><p>Until then, may the force be with you &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you wanna chat or see someone cry over Adam Driver's ears, you can find me on twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/benchewchewsolo">here</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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